KUALA LUMPUR: When planning a visit to Pahang, Kelantan or Terengganu, partaking of these states’ gastronomic delights comes to mind.
The three states have countless dining options as their food outlets that have gone viral on social media indicate their popularity.
One way of not missing out on any eatery offering local mouthwatering fare is by driving along the older routes or federal roads.
Granted, it is more time-consuming to travel along the old road than on the highway to get to your destination but there is nothing wrong with creating memories by traversing rural districts and stopping at little villages and towns to satiate one’s appetite.
The vast swathes of greenery in the countryside, and not forgetting Terengganu’s coastal panorama, provide for hours of scenic driving, enabling families or friends to ‘create beautiful moments together’ which, incidentally, was the tagline of the Works Ministry’s recent FTRoadpedia Eastern Zone 2.0 programme for 2019.
The three-day programme saw a 100-member delegation, headed by Works Minister Baru Bian and comprising senior officers and media representatives, travelling to Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu by road.
Among the objectives of the FTRoadpedia programme were changing the people’s perspective of federal roads and promoting the use of these roads, as well as enjoying the socio-cultural heritage of the states concerned.
Road trip
Federal roads are roads built and maintained by the Works Ministry through the Public Works Department. Currently, there is a total of 17,771.42 km of federal roads throughout the country that link one state to another and serve as an alternative to the tolled highways.
The federal roads – whose popularity took a beating after the opening of highways – are usually used by the local communities and commercial vehicles.
Nevertheless, the federal routes are still the choice of people heading to the east coast from Kuala Lumpur. Come the festive period, these roads are chock-a-block with cars and it can take up to 12 hours to drive to Kota Bharu, Kelantan, from Kuala Lumpur.
The FTRoadpedia Eastern Zone 2.0 road trip started at the Works Ministry complex, here. Travelling at about 90 km per hour, the two buses carrying the delegation members travelled to Bentong, Raub and Lipis in Pahang, followed by Gua Musang, Kuala Krai and Machang in Kelantan on the first day before stopping in Kota Bharu for the night.
The next day the delegation travelled through fishing villages to Penarik in the Terengganu coast and then Temerloh, Pahang, where they spent the night before returning to Kuala Lumpur the next day. The distance covered during the three-day programme totalled 533 km.
Economic development
The federal roads are not just a network of roads linking cities, towns and villages all over the country, but they also help to boost the economy of the local communities, especially restaurant owners and stallholders selling local produce.
Lemang To’Ki in Bentong is among the restaurants that have benefited from the traffic plying the busy federal roads.
Located at Jalan Tras, the eatery’s much sought-after item is its original ‘lemang’ (a Malay delicacy made of glutinous rice and coconut milk cooked in a hollow bamboo lined with banana leaves).
Not just a stopover for car and lorry drivers, Lemang To’Ki is also the favourite pit stop of groups of motorcyclists during their weekend jaunts.
Flanking the road to Raub are stalls selling fruits such as honey jackfruit that is cultivated at the nearby Felda Mempaga and Felda Lembah Bilut.
Also available here is the Musang King durian that Raub is famous for. Its soil and weather conditions are suited to the cultivation of the Musang King species which is known for its succulent flesh with small seeds and is among the best in Malaysia.
In Kelantan, the delegation also visited the Central Spine Road (CSR) project which is still under construction. This project, almost 20% of which has been completed, involves the construction of a 351 km road from Kuala Krai (Kelantan) to Simpang Pelangai in Bentong (Pahang).
Work on the RM101.5 million project started in September 2016 and it is expected to be completed in September this year.
When completed, the CSR will serve as an alternative to the existing FT08 federal road and help ease the traffic congestion, particularly during festive periods. This project is also expected to act as a catalyst for the infrastructure and economic development at the East Coast Economic Region.
A part of the federal road from Kuala Lipis to Gua Musang, meanwhile, has been upgraded to a four-lane dual carriageway for the comfort of road users.
Traversing the coastal road
The journey from Kota Bharu to Kuala Terengganu saw the delegation crossing the Besut district and heading towards Penarik in Setiu via the coastal road and miles and miles of stunning views of the deep-blue South China Sea.
Penarik, a beautiful fishing village, is dotted with seafood restaurants.
Mohd Jamil Ismail, 34, owner of Restoran Ombak Pantai, acknowledged that the busy coastal federal road has assured him of a steady stream of customers.
Mohd Jamil, whose eatery is known for its deep-fried flour-coated fish, prawns and squid, said most people travelling from Kelantan to Terengganu tend to opt for the coastal road as the drive is scenic.
“The road can get quite congested during the weekends and festive holidays. You can find a lot of shops selling flour-coated foodstuffs along the Penarik beach,“ he said, adding that about 70% of visitors to Penarik were from Kelantan and other places while the remaining were from Terengganu.
He also said that having a presence in social media has made it easier for him to promote his beachside restaurant.
“During the recent Chinese New Year holidays, an overwhelming number of customers patronised our restaurant. Not only did they want to taste our fresh seafood but they also wanted to enjoy the ambience here,“ he said.
Hoping that the authorities would widen the coastal road to Penarik to ease the traffic congestion, Mohd Jamil said the government should also further develop Penarik as it was the gateway to the popular tourist destinations of Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian. — Bernama
