A Proton tryst leading to turtle trail
Some nature lovers are conditioned to think turtles are exclusively the preserve of Terengganu, and its wonderful beaches.
No doubt, you would be familiar with the Chelonian tag given to anyone who lives anywhere between north of Kemaman and south of Besut. Denizens from that part of the world will playfully be called a ‘penyu’ (turtle), though I think it should be worn as a badge of honour.
So here’s proof that turtles lay eggs elsewhere too, and rather incongruously, off a beach in; of all places – Melaka!
The location is Pengkalan Balak to be exact, off the Melaka Straits that is nowhere near the South China Sea, in the land that one associates with the legend of Parameswara, aka Sultan Iskandar Shah.
We got hold of a Proton X90 for a weekend and was looking for an out-of-state destination when someone suggested; “Let’s go to Melaka!” A swell idea but where in Melaka that would make the trip worthwhile?
Then I remember the days of my youth when the family used to make the yearly ‘Hari Raya balik kampung’ trip. It was a full-blooded, almost five-hour bus trip to the once quaint town called Lendu, in Alor Gajah. There were no express buses then – one had to stagger the journey from the interstate bus terminus located at what was once Foch Avenue – renamed Puduraya – in Kuala Lumpur.
By the way, does anyone know how the legendary World War 1 Allied forces General – a Frenchman at that – had his name awarded to a road in Kuala Lumpur – hence the erstwhile Foch Avenue? Sadly, the penchant to Malaysianise every single ‘orang putih’ (white man's) reference to roads and buildings and rid us of every last vestige of colonial legacy has meant Foch is now Lee – Jalan Tun H.S. Lee.
Ah, after that digression, back to the childhood road trip. The first stop was Kajang, then Seremban, on to Rembau, and crossing into Melaka at Alor Gajah, before a final bus leg to the little village of Lendu.
A week spent there would not be complete without a day trip to Tanjung Bidara and Pengkalan Balak, which was a beachside location favoured by locals. As kids, we would gather all our siblings and as many of our kin and cousins who made it for the yearly balik kampung get-together to spend a day at the beach.
It became a bit of a taboo destination after news filtered about a fatal drowning, which made all our elders put their foot down and declare Pengkalan Balak and its beach a ‘no-go’ area.
That was that – so now, more than two decades later, was my chance to defy parental edict and re-visit our old childhood stomping grounds.
Overcome with nostalgia, given keys to the X90, we decided to retrace history.
It was a Tuesday, and therefore traffic southwards from the Sungai Besi toll plaza was a breeze compared to the usual crawl to work towards the city.
The X90 is a Proton like never before – it is new in that this is a mild hybrid incorporating a 48-volt Electric Motor Synergy (EMS) system mated to a 1.5l TGDI (direct-injection) turbo-charged three-cylinder engine with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission.
Why mild, you may ask. It differs from a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) as a mild hybrid recharges through regenerative braking without the added feature of being able to recharge directly by plugging it externally at a charging station.
Those among us who have driven some form of hybrid-engined cars will know how the engine noise suddenly cuts out when one stops at traffic lights as the battery charging comes into play – or how in full EVs, the battery power climbs back up as one decelerates. While we do not really have to take a torque wrench, much less a screwdriver to peek under the hood, suffice to say all these are designed to make normally-aspirated cars go back to the – ‘ICE-age’.
When Geely took control of Proton, there were fears of loss of sovereignty. The naysayers overlooked the gains – Geely through its joint-venture partner Volvo collaborated on this engine design which also powers the X50 and the X70. In the X90, this is supplemented by a starter-generator with a lithium-ion battery underneath the boot floor. By the way, Proton offers a five-year warranty which is how confident they are of its running life.
Just like any auto manufacturer worth its salt, Geely is also climbing up the ladder towards the ultimate in ‘auto-pilot’ technology, though the X90 only boasts up to Level 2 semi-autonomous driving, for now. This includes a whole host of features but what I find most useful are the Lane Keeping Assist, and both Forward and Rear Emergency Braking. Just imagine how much heartbreak or tragedy is avoided as this will certainly cut down instances of cars reversing and running over hapless kids blocking one’s driveway.
The X90 has had a track record of just over a year on our roads since it was introduced in May last year. The claim is that this means it is relatively cheaper to run the X90 than any other similarly-sized-engined vehicle. (A disclaimer – this will require a more thorough data-collecting effort from a much longer period of ownership for which – rest assured – is in progress. I counsel patience as we await the result.)
So, for now, enough about the car. What about the turtles? Once we had our fill of swimming in the sea at Pengkalan Balak, we took a stroll along the beach until we chanced upon a signboard that read; “Pusat Konservansi dan Penetasan Penyu”.
I did a second take; asking my travelling colleague; “Are we in Terengganu?” The reply came; “Better believe it, this is as far away from KT as can be, we are in Melaka!”. Yup, right here in fast developing (leading to faster disappearing) rural idyll of the Masjid Tanah district, there is still a quiet haven that’s a turtle sanctuary.
I hope no one complains as this time round, the focus is less car but more Chelonia. For the uninitiated, Chelonia is Greek for the family of reptiles in which most of its body is encased in a protective bony capsule.
I have come all the way to Melaka in the X90 and stumbled upon the Hawksbill turtle, or what locals call, Penyu Karah. The same species can also be found in Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Sabah, and Sarawak. The knowledgeable staffers at the sanctuary are a gold mine of information. I learnt that the turtles will come to lay eggs at the stretch of beach from Padang Kamunting to Pengkalan Balak from March to June and lay up to between 40,000 and 70,000 eggs.
Distressingly, the numbers are decreasing. The females will return to the same beach up to five times during the egg-laying season. Interestingly, once they hatch and head out to the open sea, the turtles will disappear for up to 20 years before they are mature enough to return home to lay eggs.
Egg collectors are appointed from amongst the local villagers who will ensure as many of the eggs are brought to the sanctuary where they are hatched and released into the sea.
While in Melaka, I also learnt of the increased business ties forged between the state and the new leaders of Indonesia now that Prabowo has been declared the winner of the recent elections to take over the office of President from Jokowi.
More than the danger from climate change, this increasingly warm ties have re-ignited talk about the proposed Melaka-Dumai bridge-tunnel link. If it does see fruition, the landing site of the Hawksbill turtle in Pengkalan Kamunting would be adversely affected.
You may not have the occasion – like me – to someday drive the X90 to see for yourself the perilous state of survival and therefore possible disappearance of the Penyu Karah from our beaches.
But just like the band of Mutant Ninja Turtles emerging from the sewers of New York to save the city from the filth and slime of crime, we can perhaps do something about it before the damage is irretrievably done.
Perhaps any eventual bridge will be designed with the welfare of the turtles in mind. When that happens, the X90 can be credited as an accessory to conservation!
Main image by Faris Budin
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