I will do anything and take whatever opportunity presented to me to be on the train. This is one example when mere mortal (ha ha ha) would not even think about doing it.
Sept 19, 2019 - Bangi - Tampin/Pulau Sebang, Komuter
I looked out of my window when I was doing my work at my desk and it was not a promising outlook. The haze was as thick as the day before and travelling engulf by it was not something I look forward to. But as I said to my good friend, life has to go on despite the challenge. I had printed out my tickets the night before and I took a snap of it and sent it out to my trains buddies to share with them my travel plan. One of them came back immediately that there was an electrical problem between Sg Gadut and Gemas resulting in delays for Komuter and ETS services along the route. Thus, I had to readjust my departure from Bangi from 1745 to 1639 just to make sure I could catch the shuttle to JB Sentral. In fact, I was actually thinking of leaving even later so that I could arrive at Tampin at 2000. I did want to risk it and rather be waiting and running to catch the train.
For whatever reason KTMB retime their southern sector rail services instead of the Tampin - JBS shuttle leaving at 1400 it was now departing Tampin at 2130. The first train out of Tampin to JB was 0530. No way I could catch that first train. Being a train nut as I am and since I missed being on one already I just bought the ticket. One miscalculation though. I was counting that my friend could get me a return ticket for shuttle Tebrau but it was sold out for the weekend. Lessons learnt. Should have bought that tickets first. I was destined to cross the border by bus then which I had experienced to be horrible before. At that time I almost missed my Express Sutera to KL.
I boarded the Komuter train at Bangi at 1639 to Tampin/Pulau Sebang and it was a journey through the haze. Some people were not bothered to put on a mask but I did not want to risk it. The Komuter train glided confidently towards Tampin and me with surgical mask thinking and writing.
We reached and I disembarked at Tampin at around 1800 and took the stairs down to go to the cafe outside the station for a drink. Since my next train to JB would be at 2105 I drank my Nescafe slowly and started to feel a bit bored. Partly, the atmosphere around me creating the tension. Gloomy that my unconscious mind started to react to it. I just could feel it. I persisted to stay longer and toiling with my feeling. It was until I heard the 'kakak' owner behind me clearing her table that I realised I had overstayed. I duly paid for my drink and walked towards the station. I took the lift to level one and turn left as I step out. The surau was obviously empty and a bit dark. It was cooler than the outside and parked myself next to the available power plug point and plugged in my charger to charge my handphone. I waited for maghrib. Closed to 1900 slowly fellow passengers joined me in the surau.
As I was to start my takbir when I saw my train had arrived and was already at platform 4. A good two hours of rest before making the return journey back to JB. Still a lot of time for me. Once I did my jama qasar I walked out to join the rest of the passengers to wait. Only then I remembered I forgot to buy water for my journey and there would not be ABC on the train I was to board.
Shuttle 45, Tampin - JB Sentral, R2 8A
We were called to board at 2035, 30 minutes to departure. Coach R2 was right in front of me when I step down the stairs. I walked in and my body immediately shivered because of the air condition was on and with no one else inside to create warmth. I immediately prepared myself for a very cold journey. I was sitting alone in coach R2 Seat 8A facing backwards to the movement of the train. We departed Tampin sharp at 2105. I like the INKA coach built by Indonesia best as the seating includes power points for every two seats. Also, the seats are a bit more comfortable. Whereas the coach I boarded had only two power points located at both ends of the coach. Thus, in the first part of my journey I camped myself at one end to write and at the same time charge both my laptop and handphone. In fact, I stayed there until I exhausted my brain and the coach got too cold to bear.
As I was writing, the normal stations appeared and I looked out to acknowledge, Batang Melaka at 2123, Gemas 2146, Segamat 2219, and Tenang 2254. Tenang? This was really a surprise for me. Never knew there is Tenang Station in Segamat. I was busy typing when I realised the train had stopped and it had been a while so I looked outside and try to make out the station as I am really familiar with the station in the south. When I could not identify the station I turned my head further back as I saw big signage. It read Tenang and I thought somebody was pulling a fast one due to the double-tracking construction. I sent a message to my train buddies to double-check and was confirmed of the existence. Wow, I miss Tenang all this while. What made me thought that it was a hoax was the fact that the signage was in aluminium colour and looks like it was just been added. We were waiting for a while already and I replied to the message asking we were crossing. Fahmi confirmed that we would cross with train 26 Express Rakyat Timuran from JB Sentral.
At 2326 we crossed with Train 26. After Tenang was Labis and Bekok. That was when I decided to call it a night. I packed up everything, emptied my bladder and walked back to my original seat to try to get some winks, which I did.
Throughout the journey outside was massive construction of the double tracks and stations. Within two next two years, the face of train services will change totally in the south. To some train romantics, they will hate it and want the services to stay as they are. Progress prevails in the end and we just need to help to keep the balance between the old and new the best we can. Despite leaning more towards the romantics I will surely enjoy whatever train trip I am on.
The coach was indeed a freezer and I drifted in and out of sleep.
About ten minutes to JB Sentral the TC came around to announce JBS would be the next and final station. It was really hard for me to open my eyes and stayed focus. It was really an effort to finally do it. Once awake I was ok and ready for the unknown.
Shuttle 45 arrived at JBS on time at 0233. I disembarked quickly with one thing in mind. To empty my bladder and to see what I could do there. When I arrived at the restroom next to the surau, I was appalled by the condition. Dirty and not properly maintained. I just managed to ease myself and walked out. I tried the surau door and it was locked. I walked around the terminal and a few shops including the KFC were opened. So no problem of getting hungry. As I was looking around I realised that there were people already walking into the CIQ to cross to Singapore and prompted me to ask. The first one I asked was the Indian shopkeeper where I bought mineral water. A piece of clear information I have gotten from him was the bus services were available beginning at 0400 down below. Then I asked a mamak at another kiosk and I got almost a similar answer but still not convincing. That was when I saw a guard on duty just outside the terminal leading to the CIQ. I asked him if I were to cross to Singapore could I do it now. He said I could and to clear the Malaysian immigration first and could wait inside as many would and told me the same about the bus service. It was about 0300 then and I thought it would be too early.
I ordered a simple fried chicken from the KFC and sat down to research and decide what I would do. The final destination of the Causeway Link bus was Queen St Terminal and when I looked at the map it was a walking distance to the Sultan Mosque at the Arab St. Suddenly, I found a solution to two of my major problems. If I were to cross at around 0400, 1) I could avoid the human exodus into Singapore and 2) I could take a bath and say by suboh prayer at Sultan Mosque. At 0400 I walked out of the KFC and went into the CIQ building to cross.
I was learning the SOP of crossing by bus as I move on. Clearing the Malaysian immigration was easy after that I walked on and saw everyone went down the escalator to, I assumed where the bus was to take us to the Singaporean checkpoint and eventually into Singapore. There were two sets of escalators going down, one platform A and the other B. Which one should I take and I gambled on B and when I was down below it did not matter as you will be at the same level where all the buses will be waiting and you could access each platform easily. Platform A is for the Bus Kilang, Pekerja, etc while B is for the Causeway Link and the 170 buses, from Larkin, to Queen St. Of course I should take the Causeway Link, denotes by CW sign, assigned as CW1, CW2 buses. I saw on the bus that CW2 would be the bus to take. But what I could not understand initially was there were two lines waiting. I went to the shortest and line up behind a guy that obviously been doing this most of his working life. I asked him and he explained everything. Yes, I should take CW2 and the ticket to be paid for on the bus was RM3.40, the exact amount as no change will be given if you pay more than that. I had RM4 with me so that was what I used later. He explained further it does not matter if I take CW1 or CW2 at that stage because the bus will only take me to the Singaporean checkpoint where everyone had to get down to have our passport check and stamp. The bus will proceed to wait for us on the other side and at that point, I must take CW2 as it is the only one that is going to Queen St Terminal. Ok, about the two lines - one was a line for those who would like to sit and the line that I took was for those that would like to stand. Did not matter to me at that point because it would be a short journey to the Singaporean checkpoint. The other thing if you see a long line do not worry it will move very fast as they are a lot of buses and just follow the yellow line with CW2 written on the floor.
While crossing as early as 0400 I realised how many Malaysians are actually working in Singapore or how many Singaporeans are living in JB. It will be another exodus of humans across to Malaysia that evening and I will be one of them. Being Friday it would be the worst in a week. I had experienced that personally before. After I cleared both checkpoints I boarded Causeway Link CW2 to Queen St Terminal. It was a good 30 minutes ride into the city, had I was sleepy it would be a good nice sleep. Despite the lack of sleep, I was wide awake the whole journey. Singapore is less hazy than Malaysia as I arrived at Queen St Terminal at 0500.
It was a very quiet still morning and I stood still for a while after I alighted from the bus. To get my sense of direction I switch on my data roaming and opened the Google map. I knew Masjid Sultan was not that far from Queen St as I had walked there before several times. With the Google map on I gotten my sense of direction and confidently walked towards Arab St.
I arrived at the beautiful Masjid Sultan at 0515. I took an early morning scene shot using my handphone of Restaurant Zam Zam and the mosque before I entered the compound. There are already several people waiting for suboh. I gave salam to the first gentleman I met at the water fountain and he told me that there was an electrical problem and the restroom area a bit dark. He said I could still use the bathroom but a bit dark or he suggested for me to go to use the one on the other side of the mosque. I took that option and walked through the side of the prayer hall. That was when I realised how beautiful the mosque was. I was informed later it had been renovated. Inside the wash area, I cleaned myself and changed into a new t-shirt. I just did enough so that I could pray first and decided to come back later to properly do me up ha ha ha.
I walked into the prayer hall, said my sunat masjid and waited with the rest for Suboh. After the azan, we waited for quite a while before we were called to start to pray which was good for me.
The imam has a beautiful voice and he chose to recite a long surah sajadah for the first raqaat. To think about it that was the first suboh for me done in a mosque in Singapore. A wonderful experience. Thanks to the Arabs and Indian traders for building the mosques in Singapore. If not for them there would not be many mosques in major historical cities especially in Malaysia, particularly in Penang. Some people in Malaysia are bashing these ‘mamak’ and their restaurant but they gave a lot of interesting twists to our culture and most important thing of all to me they bought lands and built lot of mosques not only preserving and strengthening Islam in major cities but keeping land ownership in the cities among Muslims.
After the prayers and my ‘do-up’, I walked out at 0620 while taking photos of the mosque using my DSLR. Out of the mosque, I capture the mosque from the street where Restaurant Zam Zam was. How I wish the restaurant was open then. The streets were still relatively quiet and I walked slowly towards Bugis LRT station. At the station, I bought a ticket to Paya Lebar station as I was to rendezvous with my other colleagues who were staying at Hotel 81 Tristar. The ticket was Sing$1.80 and three stations away towards Pasir Ris.
When I disembarked at Paya Lebar I found out my data roaming capability had gone bonkers and I had no access to the Google map. I just referred to the image of the map that I captured before. I tried to make sense of the place and direction that I should take. I walked a bit and realised I was not successful. Thus, I asked a lady sitting waiting nearby. She pointed to the flats beyond and marked it as the landmark as a guide for me. She said, ‘That flat is the landmark. Walk to the flat and once you are there take right and walk on until you see the hotel. You will not miss it.’ Well, what she failed to tell me is that Tristar is building and Hotel 81 is somewhere in the building. I failed to locate it when I was in front of the complex. I double-checked the address that I had and it was on Onan St. I skirted the building and found Hotel 81 of the other side of the complex. I passed a mamak restaurant and the thought of stopping for breakfast imminent. But since my data roaming was not available I walked into the lobby of the hotel and sat there to wait for my colleagues to appear. I did not want to risk it. I booted up my laptop and managed to do a bit of work.
Dr E and Aya came down and saw me sitting and invited me to join them for breakfast at the mamak restaurant. Shidah was already at the Mamak shop and we had a grand breakfast. Grand because someone was actually on a quest to try everything that looks good to eat. Of course, being the only male in the group I was the designated one-man cleaning crew he he he. I ate enough to last until dinner he he he.
After breakfast, we walked back to the hotel to wait for everyone in the lobby. When we got there almost everyone supposed to be there were there. We just lingered and waited for our coach.
Our schedule for the day was to visit two regional libraries and a meeting with the Library Association of Singapore (LAS). The sequence was to visit Tampines Regional Library, Library @Harbour Front and finish off with the meeting at NLB. I have to make sure I stayed close to this schedule as I needed to cross back to JB by bus and take the 2230 train to Tampin and eventually the Komuter back to Bangi. It seemed I had a lot of times but I had a worse experience the chaotic Friday evening mass crossing to JB at both side checkpoints before and I did not wish to be in that position again.
Our coach came, we boarded and we were accompanied by one of the NLB staff to Tampines Regional Library. It was quite a journey and we arrived at the South Plaza of the community complex at 0919. We were received by another staff there and the library was still close to the public when we started our tour. We had about slightly over 1 hour for the tour and we covered most of the areas. We came out of the main entrance at 1042.
The Tampines Regional Library is housed within a community complex that competes with a standard size modern football pitch in the middle and the inner part of the library is facing inwards towards the stadium. It is a community library where from the design of the library and its services went through community consultation and input. Thus, all seems to work in accordance with the requirement of the community surrounding the complex. Also, being a city-state and close proximity of housing complexes makes the library as one of the important necessities to the community. We explored the whole library and was guided by a nice young librarian. It was an eye and mind opener for us.
We left Tampines Regional Library at 1045 and left for Library@Harbour Front. The library is at a shopping complex and we arrived there at 1120. Another young librarian was there to meet and guide us around. As the name implies the shopping mall was built at the harbour front and a major part of it is facing the harbour. That is one reading section of the library has the best view and it is to me, one of the best ‘rooms with the view’ reading and thinking areas. Once again we were guided around and inspired by what we saw. Well, we need to be innovative enough and anything is possible. Again, at this library some if not most of their activities are run by a group of volunteers.
In conclusion, the visits may be an eye-opener or a brain teaser for many but to me, the limit is our imagination and hove bad we want to do certain things. Singapore libraries are successful maybe be due to close community and proximity but behind it, it is more to that as well. One very clear thing if you want people to come to the library the community need to be involved from the beginning of its development value chain. Their involvement is crucial.
Since it was Friday we left the place early at 1155 for the NLB where we had lunch and said our necessary prayers.
We started the meeting with a young LAS Committee at around 1430 and lasted until about 1545. As usual, it ended with a customary tokens presentation and photography session. It was a fruitful meeting and the next committee members of PPM need to take the initiative to progress the relationship as well as the activities planned.
From the NLB I just walked towards the Queen Street Bus Terminal. I had decided that wast the best way to cross to JB and my timing was perfect. When I arrived at the terminal I was not sure what to do and I surveyed around trying to figure out how it was done. I saw the CWS bus loading and unloading passengers nearby. Also, I saw a line going through some sort of ticketing system. I went over to check and I figured it out. You have to stand in line to buy the tickets, with exact change, and you will be ushered or asked to board the next arriving bus. The waiting line moves quite fast as the buses were quite frequent. My only problem is I did not have a small change.
I walked around to find the best way to break my Sing$10 and could not find any kiosk or even sellers selling anything small. I continued to walk and until I saw the Sim Lim Tower. It was my best bet. Even then when I was there I could not find anything smaller worth buying after going up and down the complex. In the end, I settle for a Sing$2 masking tape ha ha ha. With the small change in hand, at last, I walked quickly back to the bus terminal.
When I got there I did not have to wait long and boarded my bus to the causeway immigration checkpoints. I was in good times and did not need to rush as I did before and enjoyed my crossing.
I felt really tired when I was on the bus and the thought of sleeping was really inviting but knowing that I would be snoring if I were too tired I forced myself to stay awake. When we were at the Singaporean immigration point I just walked slowly up ignoring others that were almost running to be stamped out of Singapore. The lines were not that long ad I just picked one to line up. Observing others I got a sense that most of them were trying to beat their personal best time crossing. When I was finally at the counter the officer asked me a few basic questions to ensure I was not an imposter. Once stamped out I walked down to take the bus to the Malaysian border to cross home. I knew this was going to be easy as the automatic gates would be in operation and not as before.
I walked back into Malaysia as I passed the immigration automatic gate. I walked slowly with a smile on my face enjoying it as I had so much time before I boarded my train back to Tampin and eventually home.
The first thing I did as I crossed back was to visit the restroom ha ha ha. Then, without prompting I took a seat at our favourite warung and ordered a bowl of mi rebus and a Nescafe tarik. I savour both with patient and panache. While eating I knew what I would be doing already after that. In the meantime, I was just enjoying my meal. One thing about the place is I could not hang out too long as the throughput of the place is quite fast. This owing to the movement of the customers that are always on the go to grab a quick meal. Also, with the limited seats, we need to be considerate with the proprietor. I observed the customers were a mixed of frequent and new as well as multiracial. After I sipped the last of my Nescafe tarik I paid and walked down towards the Komtar Shopping Mall.
I window shopped in the Komtar walking up and down to kill the time. When I got bored and ended up grabbing a seat at the Haagen-Dazz outlet. I ordered three scoops of my favourite, Belgian Chocolate, with a black coffee. It was heaven on earth for a while ha ha ha.
Just an hour before Maghrib I went to the restroom to take a simple bath before I said my jamak prayers in the surau there.
I already felt tired when I finished praying and walked back to the JB Sentral to wait for my train. It was about 8.30 pm went I got and about two more hours of waiting. I assumed right that not many people would travel with me that night. Well, it did not matter to me.
Shuttle 44, JB Sentral - Tampin, R2 11A
We were called to boarded ten minutes before departure. I had nothing much to look forward to but to sleep ha ha ha. I was that tired and I planned was to sleep my way to Tampin. Since it was not a sleeper I had to make myself comfortable in my seat. Once I was boarded I pulled up my jacket and put on my socks as based on experience the train would be very cold soon. As planned and due to lack of sleep as well as tired of walking the whole day I was out as soon as the ticket conductor validated by ticket.
Tampin railway station was quiet and lonely when the train arrived. I squinted my eyes to have a clear view of the digital watch on my handphone. It was 0359. About 30 minutes of schedule. I was not sure whether the driver did it on purpose as we were sitting idle at Gemas for quite some time. I did not know for how long but I seemed to be sleeping at rest for a while. The coach by that time was really cold. I was almost shivering even with my jacket on. Anyways, arriving at 0359 was good as my waiting time for the first Komuter train to Bangi at 0513 would be shorter. Less than 10 of us disembarked at Tampin and all of us fitted into one life going up to the arrival and departure hall. I was surprised to see several passengers, I guessed most of them were students, sleeping waiting for the first train already. I saw even more knapsacks on the seats outside of the surau.
Several of them must be slumbering in there as well. They either were taking the Komuter train to KL Sentral with me or taking the shuttle train to JB that would depart Tampin at 0530. Anyways, I am happy to have several people waiting with me. After a bit of mental calculation, I planned to get down at Seremban to say my Suboh prayer and to catch another train later for home.
At 0500 we were called to board the Komuter train. Only a few of us boarded indicating to me the students were actually boarding the shuttle to JB Sentral. The Touch N Go card machine did not work and I was told I could pay at my exit later. Departed Tampin as scheduled at 0513. I was awake for the rest of the journey and it was really an experience to be on the Komuter very early in the morning travelling from Tampin. I really could not imagine that many people will travel from Tampin that very early to go to work in KL. Well, it is not the distance but there are not enough facilities in the Komuter train to make Muslim conformable travelling to work that early as they will be thinking about missing or having difficulty saying their suboh. Especially being a Malaysian Muslims that prefer to have a proper place to pray rather than just doing it at any space available on the train. It is a cultural thing more than anything else. The option that they can have is to do what I was doing, to stop at Seremban to pray and then continue their journey on the next available train.
We arrived at Seremban at around 0600. As soon as I was out I went to the ticket counter to pay for my journey from Tampin using my Touch N Go card. I knew where the surau was and walked there soon after.
At 0614 I was back on the platform taking photos as I walked to take the bridge over to the platform 2 and 3 to wait for my train to Bangi. At about 0630 the train arrived and half an hour later I disembarked at Bangi station at 0712.
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