Thursday, January 8, 2009

Syarikat/Gotong royong.

When I was younger in the kampong I used to hear the older folks talking about ‘syarikat”. But later when I was older I hear them talking about “gotong royong”.

I later learnt that “syarikat’ virtually mean a company; in the kampong sense its not an actual company registered with a Government but a sort of private arrangement between say 10 people, a combined effort to do odd jobs for each other, for example land clearing or cutting of trees on members land, say once a week. In those days people were honest and they kept to their words. Members help members sort of arrangement. No monetary reward was expected and each member even brought their own cooked food.

“Gotong royong’ virtually means volunteering one self to do a community work. To the best of my knowledge this is something new, though I suppose such arrangement had been in existence for sometime, maybe called by some other names. The ‘gotong royong’ get together would probably be held once a month or when its necessary. Such work as clearing up irrigation canals for example was part of the ‘gotong royong’ efforts (may include trimming of all kampong road side shrubs and clearing cow dungs on the roads). Also no monetary reward was expected and each member brought his own cooked food or maybe community food arrangement might be made with the wives cooking at site.

Those sort of arrangement went very well until the peoples minds was/is polluted with the ‘subsidy mentality’. When the people expected the Government to do everything for them, and even give money for any work done in the kampong for themselves or the community. This ‘pollution’ has killed the people initiative, and is cancerous because the newer generation does not even understand how the ‘syarikat’ or the ‘gotong royong’ efforts operates. And the new generation with their subsidy mentality would rather waste their time in coffee shops in town rather than doing useful work for the community. And in addition they would rather show off their new motorcycles, riding them about the kampong, rather than spending time developing the kampong and its community.

I mention this in this blog because the ‘syarikat’ and the ‘gotong royong’ are basic tools to kick-start and realise a kampong development, with minimum financial resources, such as in a rural community like in Lipat Kajang. With the right attitude and with good and strong leadership I do not foresee problems in implementing the kampong development using the methods mentioned. The challenge being, how do we erase that subsidy mentality from the people’s mind and where do we get strong leadership in the kampong?.

I foresee small financial help may be necessary at the initial stage, and this is where the people with Lipat Kajang roots who do not live in the kampong may need to fork out a few hundred RM as initial “working capital”.


Lipat Kajang people (or decendents) are encouraged to participate& contribute (Orang Lipat Kajang, atau keturunan, di jemput memberi sumbangan idea)

11 comments:

  1. No initial capital is required.

    The important thing is to have a good number and a project to show under any pretext such as Coop or syarikat.

    There is a lot of financing that is available from gov agencies e.g. Rural development ministry.

    I think there is a lot more such agencies.

    Have to browse through the gov agencies website.

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  2. Its good to have Coop but its very difficult to manage especially so in a small kampong like Lipat Kajanag where the 'educated' population is very limited. Unless the Coop is opened to the sons/daughters of Lipat Kajang. Even then its difficult to run because those left behind are older folks and the younger folks left in the kampong now are not that 'educated'.

    OK, you may get Govt. agency helps but if the Coop is not managed properly, the Coop will get into debts, and these must be paid back.

    There must be solutions, ......

    Just my 2 sen ......

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  3. Coop

    True, difficult to manage and what resources left behind are difficult to work with.

    This is then the challenge.

    Agrobusiness venture of sort. They have to work to earn more. The coop acts as marketing and distribution centre for their produce/products.

    Everybody should be involve i.e. from Tok Empat and JKKK to ensure its progress and development.
    They should be the role model.
    Start with them.

    Turn each and everyone house, compound, land into a productive assets. Where they could take up for example like cattle, goat or sheep rearing in their compound, control and monitored.

    However they have to follow the SOP to get to the standard required by the market i.e. quality=demand=price.

    Improvising it into Coop contract farming that provide cattle, goat or sheep for sale, aqiqah and slaughter to assimilate the govt call one kampung one product identity.

    Thus it will solve the "cow" dung problem strewn on the road and in the long term increases their household per capita and decreases outflow of currencies by reducing imports.

    Just a ponder.......

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  4. bulk marketting is always controlled by the Chinese. About a year or so ago, some Chinese persuaded a few Lipat Kajang-ites to have their rubber trees replanted (belah hulu rumah Hamid Yam). They got 7 acres, and they planted papayas, then chilli and then water melon (in that order I think). (Hamid senyum aje' jalan kulu kilir) ...... dia ada sikit share lah tapi tanah tu setahu saya adalah tahan Abag Salleh (arwah), Jabbar (he is watching this blog) and Abag Zahid (was it?). Anyway the Chinese had a few Indon working for him. He marketted the products successfully and fully. Now the rubber trees are growing well. Why can't we have the same JOINT-Venture, so that we can be sure of the market (and the return).

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  5. thorough feasibility study needed

    agro based ventures, good and suitable for LK but we also need to look beyond agriculture, why confine to just agri and agro-based, tap all the available knowledge skills and experiences of all "anak kampong" for the benefit of the kampong, no pain no gain, some form of sacrifice is required from each and everyone, if not.....

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  6. JV

    If it is a win-win situation i agree to it.

    The idea is for them to learn the trade whatever trade that is to venture so that it can be then handle down to their siblings in future.

    Let's think it as a life long business venture.

    JV is good but not good enough for future as the venture ends than all things end.

    The venture must thus be chronologically organise, detail, standardise and operated by them.

    Only then we get the continuity.

    just my opine thot

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  7. kon tak tau bende pasai koop ni, nok tanye Prof Ungku Aziz dia dah resign (bersara)
    tanyalah YB Saifudin (Temerloh) menteri koop

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  8. if i am not mistaken, abang zuki was the lipat kajang koop chief (just from what i heard then). maybe he can give advice.

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  9. Abah Koop chief.

    That is news to me Pak Ngah.

    Certainly to ask my dad on the matter and take it from him then, only then, if it is viable.

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  10. tanya aboh awak. tunjukkan blog ni pada aboh dan mok awok. kalau tak di kampong, bila mereka datang melawat awok. mereka datang ke?

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  11. Semasa saya menanyakan siapa Kas Mahmood yang berada di Shah Alam, saya dah beritahu dah Ayoh dan Mok pasal blog ni.

    To come and visit me nowadays agak sukar for them due to the matters to be tended in Cherok Panjang and Tanjung.

    I will ask them whenever i am back in LKP. That is a promise.

    I have a notion, not prejudging, that it all boils down to attitude.

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