Memories of Pulau Betong

These six photographs were taken in 1981. Dad had taken Cikgu Mustaffa Ismail on a round-island trip. He had taught the class I was in as a trainee teacher a couple of years back. I last heard he was teaching at SMK Aminuddin Baki in Chemor, Perak. That was many years ago. Among the stops we made was the idyllic fishing village of Pulau Betong where my cousin was staying with her family. Her husband is still a fisherman there. Pulau Betong was devastated when a tsunami slammed into it after the earthquake off Sumatra yesterday.


Cikgu Mustaffa and me at the wooden bridge across Sungai Pulau Betong.


Dad and Cikgu Mustaffa on one of the wooden jetties.


Cikgu Mustaffa and me on a wooden jetty.


Another shot at the jetty. Michael (extreme left) lost his boat when tsunami struck.


On one of the moored fishing boats in Sungai Pulau Betong.


Outside the house of my cousin’s in-laws which was inundated by 30cm of water yesterday.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

7 thoughts on “Memories of Pulau Betong”

  1. Wow……I mean…….wow……..you’ve really added a more personal touch to what all’s going on back home now. That sounds completely illogical to the outside observer considering the medium, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

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