Chini Lake, better known locally as Tasik Chini, is a lake in
Pekan District
The Pekan District is a district in Pahang, Malaysia. Located in the east of Pahang, the district borders Kuantan District on the north, South China Sea on the east, Maran District on the west and Rompin District on the south.
Demographics
...
,
Pahang
Pahang (; Jawi: , Pahang Hulu Malay: ''Paha'', Pahang Hilir Malay: ''Pahaeng'', Ulu Tembeling Malay: ''Pahaq)'' officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific ''Darul Makmur'' (Jawi: , "The Abode of Tranquility") is a sultanate and ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. The lake shores are inhabited by the Jakun branch of the
Orang Asli.
The Tasik Chini is the second largest fresh water lake in Peninsular Malaysia and is made up of a series of 12 lakes.
Chini River, which drains from the lake, flows into Pahang River. The river is dammed to maintain the lake's depth during the dry season. However, this has disrupted the natural ecology of the lake and caused the death of trees on its shores due to elevated water level.
Tasik Chini is one of the
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.
MAB's work enga ...
status sites in Peninsular Malaysia, while the other is
Crocker Range
Crocker Range ( ms, Banjaran Crocker) is a mountain range in West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia that separates the west and east coast of Sabah. At an average height of , it is the highest mountain range in the state with the range is named ...
in
East Malaysia
East Malaysia (), or the Borneo States, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia on and near the island of Borneo, the world's third-largest island. Near the coast of Sabah is a small archipelago called Labuan. East Malaysia li ...
Flora and fauna
The lake is also endowed with a rich bio-diversified lush tropical wilderness that is home to 138 species of flora, 300 species of non-aquatic live and 144 species of fresh water fish. Between August and September the lake is transformed into a floating garden with thousands of white and pink
lotus flowers covering the surface.
Legends
The lake offers tranquil and peaceful surroundings steeped in myths and legends that have remained unexplained to this day.
According to an
Orang Asli legend, the lake is inhabited by a
dragon called the
Naga Seri Gumum (sometimes referred to as "Malaysia's
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or mor ...
"). It is believed to contain an ancient sunken
Khmer city at the bottom of the lake.
Pollution
The
Orang Asli (indigenous people) who live on the banks of Tasik Chini complain that the lake has become polluted.
A community leader of an Orang Asli village, Tok Batin Awang Alok, said that logging and ore mining activities have create pollution and caused problems for local residents. Children who bathe in the lake complain of itchiness. Fish caught in the lake have become unfit to eat. The Orang Asli people cannot go to areas to collect roots used in traditional medicine because the areas have been closed for mining.
Dr Hedzri Adnan of Asian Public Intellectuals said that rapid changes at the lake might cause the ecosystem to collapse by 2030.
Transparency International
Transparency International e.V. (TI) is a German registered association founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Based in Berlin, its nonprofit and non-governmental purpose is to take action to combat global corruption with civil ...
's secretary-general Josie Fernandez also said that the lake also risked losing its UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status.
However, the Mentri Besar of Pahang,
Adnan Yaakob said that the state Health Department found that the water quality to be normal after a three-month study while the muddy waters only occurred near the state Islamic and Malay Customs Council and
RISDA's plantations near the lake.
Pictures
Image:Malaysia 269.jpg, Information board
Image:Malaysia 239.jpg, Tourist board at Chini Lake
Image:Malaysia 242.jpg, Chini River
See also
*
Geography of Malaysia
References
{{Authority control
Lakes of Malaysia
Pekan District
Biosphere reserves of Malaysia
Nature sites of Malaysia
Landforms of Pahang