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Daily Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Express
A heart to keep fire of ‘Tenom Coffee' burning
Published on: Sunday, June 08, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jun 08, 2025 By: Kan Yaw Chong Text Size: Freshly-picked coffee cherries being sun dried in Padas Farm. TENOM Coffee is a household name in Sabah. It owes its reputation largely to the special aroma and smoky coffee flavour due to a guarded old tradition of wood-fire bean roasting practice. However, cultivation of coffee, mainly Robusta in this so-called 'Sabah's Coffee Capital' had reportedly declined from previous decades, counting no more than a few hundred hectares now. Advertisement But there is a willing heart to do the hard part to rejuvenate coffee planting. Tenom-born and patriot, Tham Yau Siong, brother of well-known adventure tourism veteran Yau Kong, has spent some years rallying a group of enterprising local land owners to get into the coffee planting act to keep the Tenom Coffee reputation going. Trend of surging global coffee culture is clear Actually, nobody can miss the trend of a rising global coffee drinking culture. Advertisement Look at the global size of the coffee industry. The global market size was USD245.2 billion in 2024, which is anticipated to reach USD381.52 by 2034, rising at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.32pc from 2025 to 2034. The escalating adoption of coffee drinking culture globally is leading this coffee market. The growth is fuelled by rising demand, driven by rising disposable incomes, change of lifestyles and a growing coffee culture worldwide, hopefully uninterrupted by conflicts and wars from geopolitical tensions. Given rising prices and a surging global coffee drinking culture and a willingness of Tenom coffee growers to take serious care of coffee plants, Tham argues coffee planting now makes economic sense. Nearer home to the north, coffee consumption in China, which vows a rejuvenation policy of 'Shared Future and Prosperity' for all, coffee consumption had reportedly surged 150pc over the last 10 years! The news is coffee imports had nearly tripled to 5.5 million bags (60kg) and expected to rise to rise to 5.6 million bag by 2025. Since China can produce only two million bags domestically because of limiting climatic factors, they must import the demand-exceeds-supply reality to satisfy this explosive growth in consumption. 'Prospective income & cost – the winner on the revenue side': Tenom patriots Tham sees not only opportunities opening for Tenom patriots to help keep the fire of Tenom coffee burning, but also cite numbers that pay for serious planters who accept doing hard things on the care side. Speaking from tried and tested field experience, Yau Siong said: 'If you take care of a coffee tree well, like diligent pruning, consistent fertilising, shading from excessive heat, one tree can produce 5kg dry beans per tree per year and at current price of RM24 per kg where we can plant 400 trees per acre at 10x10ft apart, means you get a revenue of RM48,000 per acre per year. If you plant just two acres, income is potentially RM96,000 per year, while the cost of production is about 50% of that so income is on the winning side, provided you are willing to do the hard part and take care of the trees seriously,' stressed Yau Siong, President of the 20-strong Tenom Coffee Entrepreneurs Association or Persatuan Pengusaha Kopi Tenom in Malay, formed in 2019. Plant essential nutrient-rich alluvial soil from ancient lake & high yield But a yield of 5kg per tree per year as asserted is extraordinarily productive. Yet it may not be surprising because geologically, it is believed Tenom was once flooded under a vast ancient lake, then over thousands and millions of years, the cutting action of water from the Padas River, maybe through a waterfall, broke a gap across the Crocker Range, drained the lake empty, carving out a deep gorge called the Tenom Gorge, leaving behind a huge area of nutrient-rich alluvial soil deposit that is rich in plant essential nutrients like potash, lime and phosphorous acid, making them highly fertile, typically well drained though lacking in nitrogen and organic matter, howbeit the nutrient content may differ with some areas rich in calcium, sodium, potassium, silicon and phosphorus. Since a coffee plant starts flowering in seven months, revenue generation is not a marathon wait either, Yau Siong noted. Optimistic that a serious 'just do it' effort can succeed, Yau Siong drove Daily Express to his 22-acre farm by the bank of a pristine Paal river, for an onsite showcase to prove Tenom can produce a lot more coffee beans locally and makes the money! 'Productive pruning prospers a caring coffee planter': Tham Here is a list of care a serious coffee planter would do to succeed. One, pruning. Diligent pruning coffee plants is essential for a number of reasons, including keeping plants healthy, improve yields, facilitate harvesting, control growth, ensure proper light and air circulation , control pests and diseases, Yau Siong cited. Firstly, prune to control height and shape. To prove what has already been done, he stood beside a coffee plant that is no taller than himself – about 3m, and said: 'This is the result of one important top pruning measure to keep my trees no taller than myself (6ft) for easy reach to harvest berries. 'Harvesting will become a nightmare if you let your tree grow wild – too tall and too big.' Cut the unproductive 'Secondly, cut unnecessary branches, such as sprouting young shoots that suck up a lot of nutrients but don't fruit. Prune to keep the larger stronger productive arms to ensure bigger and healthier berries.' Everything he said in the field trip is confirmed by an educational article on 'why pruning a coffee plant is essential'. All agree that dense, unpruned growth can block sunlight, photosynthesis and airflow, hindering the plant's ability to produce flowers and fruits, while removal of unnecessary branches ensures needed light and air to reach all parts of the tree, boosting all round health and productivity. Coffee trees age and need rejuvenation, somehow, pruning not only excites growth of new, more vigorous shoots which are more productive than ailing woody branches but also extends a tree's productive life for years, it is noted. Nip sickness & disease in the bud And, since pruning also removes dead, diseased and damaged branches, it helps the planter detect early signs of disease outbreaks, nip them in the bud to reduce production losses. 'Conventional planters don't feel the need to service the plant but now we want to keep our trees at certain height by pruning,' Yau Siong kept at it. The May 27-8 DE visit was a wholly instructive agro field trip on what it takes to improve yield and fruit quality, controlled pruning control to ensure proper light and nutrient distribution, and consistent fertilizing to improve both the quantity and quality of coffee beans produced that fits the bill of agrotourism. Climate change- beating an unexpected challenge From pruning, Yau Siong zeroed into climate change – a least expected problem in coffee planting but has become a real challenge to reckon with. But how? 'Look at the shade trees,' he said. 'Shading is necessary now because of climate change. 'In the past, planters dismissed the need for shading, they argued coffee trees could stand the sun but now we must accept that climate change is a fact. When it is hot, it gets very hot, when the sun is too hot, it withers leaves, injures the tree, disease comes, production affected.' To impress on this reality, he took me to an unshaded tree which had a lot of berries but they were small while the leaves had turned yellowish, withering and folding. 'So, I have to plant shade trees to filter at least 30pc to 40pc of the sunlight to create a conducive environment to help them. 'On the other hand, coffee is conducive integrated farming, we can plant fruit trees for shading but that's something to think about later,' he added. Robusta thrives in Tenom, not Arabica On coffee facts, Tenom is limited to Robusta coffee which thrives only in warmer temperatures and Tenom is warm at an average altitude of 577m (1,900ft), a tropical region where 22-30C (72-86F) is considered the optimal temperature range. Since Robusta does not tolerate temperature above 32C, it imposes a need to plant shade trees, that's the real cost of climate change for stubborn climate change deniers to think about. Robusta and Arabica are the two main types of coffee beans Though Arabica coffee is more preferred due to its smoother, sweeter and more nuanced flavour compared to Robusta, Arabica needs an optimal 18-21C (64-70F) for quality and yield, that is, it needs much cooler altitudes between 1,200-1,860m (4,300-6,000ft) which rules Tenom out for planting. But the point of this Special Report is a determined move is underway to fortify Tenom as a strong coffee bean production region. 'We already started on the production side and think downstream to add value by the possibility of eventually putting tourism into the picture. The idea is to make coffee production worth more for the coffee farmer. Tourists may do the trick Yau Siong cited two practical concepts that are 'very common' in Taiwan. One, Deep tourism. Two, Agro-tourism. Deep tourism refers to a mindset or approach to travel that emphasises meaningful, immersive (completely involved) and transformative experiences beyond its surface level, deep engagement with a destination, its culture and history, fostering a more profound understanding and appreciation. Agro tourism involves experiencing agricultural areas and farms. It encompasses elements like farm stays, U-pick operations, farm tours, workshops, farm-to-table dinner and festivals. These elements allow visitors to engage with farming practices, learn about local food production, immerse themselves in rural life, while providing farmers with additional income streams. A five-fold income boosting Taiwanese showcase Yau Siong believes value adding packages can help bring back coffee bean production in Tenom because of a potentially more lucrative industry. He cited a lime farm in Taiwan he knew. Before they started agro-tourism, the income was one million Taiwanese dollar from just lime production alone. After creating an agro tourism package, income rose to 4-5 million, with elements like educational courses for visitors, U-pick operation, or pruning when not fruiting, fertilization, spraying, yet they are not afraid of exposing trade secrets, in fact better, because when visitors see minimal use of chemicals, they help spread the good word-wow, environmentally friendly programme with minimal use of chemicals, the fruits must be good for consumption, sales improve. In this way, whether the lime farm is fruiting or not, it still has visitors and cash flows from agro-tourism,' Yau Sing argued. A clear agro-tourism vision to prosper The Taiwanese example inspires a vision for Tenom coffee. 'My point is we don't just talk about a product, but besides being an agro product, it is a tourism element, visitors come, they drink a cup of coffee produced at site, then see the process, from planting to to drinking, we bring them to the farm, see the planting, and come May or June, join the pruning, experience how to prune. Come October, pick coffee berries, see how we dry coffee berries, the dehusking process, roasting coffee, till drinking the coffee,' Yau Siong described his dream to Daily Express . So, keeping Tenom's reputation as 'Sabah's Coffee Capital' in the fuller sense of the word is on the way. The potential is not far-fetched on account of the rising global coffee culture, given a rising coffee drinking culture, such as an explosive growth in demand in China, which we have already highlighted.
Business Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Accenture supports mentorship programmes for pre-employment youths
[SINGAPORE] Professional services company Accenture announced that it is supporting youth mentorship programmes this year, at its 50th anniversary dinner at Raffles Hotel on Monday (Jun 2). In partnership with The Astronauts Collective (TAC), the programmes target pre-employment youths and aim to provide them with skills and exposure to the digital economy. TAC is a charity that helps youths explore the working world and find meaningful careers. Through the programmes, Accenture employees will act as mentors and provide career guidance. They plan to commit 5,000 hours over two years and work mainly with secondary and tertiary students who are still in school. Mark Tham, country managing director of Accenture Singapore, said: 'Globally, many developed countries are struggling because of problems with youth. This is something we want to prevent from happening. With the right infrastructure and education system we have here, there's no reason for us to leave the youth unmanaged.' In particular, youths will learn about cybersecurity, problem-solving, critical thinking, digital literacy and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). 'As a net talent creator, we are focused on growing Singapore's digital talent pipeline – equipping individuals with future-ready skills and creating opportunities that extend beyond our own workforce,' he said. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Tham added that the company will draw on its 'global expertise in AI, skilling and digital transformation' while supporting Singapore's Smart Nation 2.0 strategy, which aims to position the country as a global hub for innovation and technology. Accenture is supporting TAC's Day X Program, a hands-on workshop that introduces youths to opportunities in tech and consulting. It is also partnering TAC for the JumpStart Career Mentoring Programme, which provides personalised support for students. JumpStart will run for six months and assist youths in their school-to-work transition. It aims to help them search and explore career options, secure opportunities, start a new job on good footing, and sustain their career while growing their skill set. After Accenture volunteers sign up, TAC trains them and pairs youths with a mentoring case manager who gives personalised support. Participants in JumpStart also have access to individual mentors, with a 1:1 mentor-to-mentee ratio. Day X started in May, and will roll out again in October. Meanwhile, JumpStart will commence later this year. Tham said there is potential for the programmes to be scaled up and for the volunteers to commit more hours. TAC has benefited more than 40,000 youths since 2015. It connected with Accenture via Mentoring SG, a movement launched by then deputy prime minister Lawrence Wong in end-2022 offering mentoring opportunities to youths. On Monday, Accenture also announced that it would donate S$500,000 to the President's Challenge, in line with its 50th anniversary and SG60 this year. The initiative will support 60 programmes from 52 organisations in 2025. The company will join Community Chest's Share programme, which allows employees to donate to social causes on a monthly basis. Accenture has around 3,600 employees and has partnered government agencies such as the Ministry of Health and Changi Airport for digitalisation initiatives.
Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Sail up the Singapore River and back in time at National Museum's new exhibition Once Upon A Tide
The National Museum Of Singapore's new exhibition, Once Upon A Tide, traces the country's growth via the sea and its waterways. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Sail up the Singapore River and back in time at National Museum's new exhibition Once Upon A Tide SINGAPORE – Sail up the Singapore River and back in time at the National Museum Of Singapore's new exhibition. Once Upon A Tide, which opens on May 24, traces Singapore's growth via the sea and its waterways. The story arc melds a tribute to SG60 with a potted history of the nation as the show is serving double duty during its run. The Singapore History Gallery will be closed at the year's end for a revamp and will reopen in late 2026, so Once Upon A Tide will be the museum's anchor show in the interim. Mr Daniel Tham, 44, the museum's principal curator for pre-colonial and colonial Singapore, says the sea references and fairy-tale element of the title are deliberate. 'We want to reference our interest in storytelling as a museum. We are also referencing Singapore's identity as an island, the importance of the sea and, later, the centrality of the Singapore River.' Hence, the show begins with artefacts that literally map out historical references to the island now known as Singapore. Mr Tham says: 'We asked the question, 'Has Singapore always existed?' We're commemorating 60 years as a nation, but obviously, Singapore's history goes further back. How far back does it go?' Pretty far back as the items on display suggest. The earliest reference is in second-century Greek astrologer and geographer Claudius Ptolemy's illustrated Geographia, which famously calls the Malay Peninsula 'the Golden Chersonese'. A 16th-century reproduction print of Ptolemy's map is displayed alongside stone tools unearthed at Pulau Ubin. These prehistoric adzes possibly date back 3,000 to 5,000 years. They were collected by Major P.D.R. Williams-Hunt, then the acting director of Museums for the Federation of Malaya in the late 1940s to early 1950s. This first section of the exhibition also includes interactive displays where visitors can try locating Singapore on old maps which refer to the island variously as Singapur, Cinca Pura and Sabana. Mr Tham notes that even if the island was not identified, the straits of Malacca and Johor, major waterways in the region, would be charted. The island's strategic position and the role of the Singapore River in its history form the next part of the story, and so the exhibition space has been designed to mimic the river, with a corridor that branches off into two tributaries for the subsequent chapters. There is some effort to contextualise the British arrival, with a display that includes antique weaponry referencing the violence that marked colonisation in the region. Mr Tham notes: 'The British arrival in Singapore wasn't marked by warfare, unlike in other places. But at the same time, local accounts mention sepoys being present with muskets.' The National Museum Of Singapore's new exhibition, Once Upon A Tide, traces the country's growth via the sea and its waterways. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG The main focus, however, remains on how trade, people and technology flowed through Singapore waters, supporting its development through the 19th and 20th centuries. How Singapore got bigger – literally and metaphorically – forms a running theme for the rest of Once Upon A Tide. The chapter titled Expanding Horizons will intrigue visitors who think of reclamation as a recent modern phenomenon in Singapore history. The first major land reclamation project was undertaken in the 1880s by the British colonial government. Telok Ayer Bay was filled in with soil dug from Mount Wallich. Look out for old photographs taken of the area before, during and after the process, as well as a map documenting urban planning for the reclaimed land. A more familiar narrative comes in the chapter titled Flows Of People, which showcases the stories of early immigrants. These range from Chinese labourers to Indian civil servants. Mr Tham highlights a gift from the family of police constable Lall Singh, who came to Singapore as part of the Sikh contingent. This includes a typewritten letter from Mr Singh to the colonial authorities in India, requesting his retirement pension be sent to Singapore, as he had chosen to remain here. Once Upon A Tide closes with more current items, some of which were gathered as part of the museum's Collecting Contemporary initiative. These include Olympic champion Joseph Schooling's autographed swim trunks and athlete Shanti Pereira's bright fuchsia running shoes. There are also highlights from Singapore's cultural icons, from an outfit by designer Benny Ong – who dressed Britain's late Princess Diana – to musician and Cultural Medallion recipient Margaret Leng Tan's iconic toy piano. These items reflect how this island nation has made its mark on the wider world. As Mr Tham says: 'The show's opening is a bit mysterious – it asks if you can find Singapore in these old maps. Then you sail through the river, and you see Singapore's development as it's mirrored by the story of the river. Eventually, you sail out into the open sea with a bit more of our recent history, and we talk about how Singapore has made an impact on the world.' Book it/Once Upon A Tide Where: National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Road When: May 24 to Oct 9, 2026, 10am to 7pm daily Admission: Free for Singapore citizens and permanent residents, from $18 for foreigners Info: Five highlights at Once Upon A Tide 1. Daguerreotype of Singapore, showing a view of Boat Quay (1844) An enlarged version of a 1844 daguerreotype of Singapore showing a view of Boat Quay at National Museum's exhibition Once Upon A Tide. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Blink and you will miss this tiny oval daguerreotype tucked into a display with a couple of antique weapons and views of Singapore. This is one of the earliest surviving photographs of Singapore. Shot from Government Hill, now Fort Canning Hill, it shows Boat Quay, packed with warehouses and buildings. As an international port for goods, Singapore was also plugged into global technological flows. This image was taken just five years after the daguerreotype photographic technique was invented. 2. Skyline of Singapore in 1976 (1977), oil on canvas Lai Kui Fang Lai Kui Fang's painting of Singapore's skyline from the 1970s at Once Upon A Tide. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG This large painting, measuring 151.5cm by 339cm, is a photorealistic bird's-eye view of the Singapore River and Central Business District. Everything from the then spanking new OCBC Centre to the Boat Quay shophouses to tiny buses are rendered in careful detail. It is a snapshot in time, capturing the massive and speedy development of the area in the short decade following Singapore's independence. Beyond its value as a historic document, what is also fascinating is the question of how Lai created this astonishing panoramic view. There is no single spot at that point in time where the artist could have stood to see this view, so he must have recreated the landscape from his imagination. There is also no single vanishing point on the canvas, with all the buildings, bumboats and buses in sharp focus. It is an impressive feat. 3. 1881 map of Singapore by Henry Edward McCallum, with handwritten annotations by H.T. Haughton A map of Singapore at Once Upon A Tide. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Henry Edward McCallum is responsible for designing the Raffles Museum, now the National Museum of Singapore , and introducing electricity to Singapore. As colonial engineer of the public works of the Straits Settlements (1885 to 1897), he also produced this detailed map of Singapore's bustling city centre. Pay attention to the map's title, and you will see the signature of Hancock Thomas Haughton, a civil servant who held multiple positions, including collector of land revenues, and who worked with McCallum. What is more intriguing are the notations in red, marking out road name changes for the land reclaimed from the Telok Ayer basin that became Singapore's Central Business District in the 19th and 20th centuries. You can see amendments where Robinson Quay became Robinson Road, and further extensions for Raffles Quay. 4. Diorama depicting a coolie room in the 1900s (c.1983), wood and metal Mar Edjawan, Elmer Gernale and Arthur Concepcion Miniature figurines depicting life in the time at Once Upon A Tide. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Visitors of a certain age will recognise this diorama, a traditional style of museum display in the 1980s and 1990s. It was one of several dioramas the museum has saved from its old displays and captures in lifelike detail the quarters of coolie labourers. Check out the narrow three-tiered bunks, which crammed people in cheek by jowl. In real life, each bunk bed might even have been shared by two men sleeping in shifts, depending on their work schedules. 5. Majie Leong Kun Toh's samfoo top and trousers (mid-20th century) cotton and silk Traditional Chinese patchwork baby carrier (c.1950) fabric A mannequin with a black-and-white samfoo and a traditional Chinese patchwork baby carrier at Once Upon A Tide. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG This charming display will intrigue crafters. The baby carrier is a beautiful example of practical home sewing, with an attractive triangle patch pattern and straps that are quilted for strength and comfort. Note the touch of decorative embroidery on the straps. The conservator sewed a baby doll to display this carrier, making sure it was lightweight so as to reduce wear and tear on the fragile fabric. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Action plan needed for policy to be effective
PETALING JAYA: For the National Children's Policy to be effective, the government must set a social protection floor for children and announce the policy's deliverables along with its action plan, say experts. Unicef social policy specialist Tham Yin Yee said a social protection floor will ensure that the policy is inclusive and that no child is left behind. 'Access to basic income security, for example in the form of universal monthly child grants, can play a transformative role in reducing child poverty and ensure access to essential services,' she said when contacted. Such a mechanism can also protect children from child labour, dropping out from school and malnutrition, Tham added. The policy's action plan also demonstrates that the government is laying out clear steps for implementation. But the plan must come with a monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress, identify bottlenecks and make more data-driven decisions, she said. 'The development of this plan through wide-ranging consultations with ministries, non-profit organisations, legislators, academia, parents and children is a strong example of participatory policy-making'. The government must also test what works in different contexts to ensure that programmes are responsive, efficient and sustainable. 'The government's ongoing work in professionalising the social service workforce is also vital for delivering quality care and protecting vulnerable children. 'Strengthening collaboration with all stakeholders is crucial to explore innovative financing models and increased investment in children,' she said, adding that Unicef is ready to share technical expertise and global best practices. These steps will not only improve child well-being but help the country prepare for caring for an ageing population, Tham said. Consultant paediatrician and child-disability activist Datuk Dr Amar-Singh HSS echoed these points, saying that having an action plan and clear deliverables will ensure that the policy does not remain a glossy document. Although he praised the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry for engaging with civil society and the private sector, he said the action plan should be shared online for the benefit of all stakeholders. 'The policy focuses on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) key aspects of survival, protection, development and participation – it includes aspects of health, education, safety and welfare. 'These are all vital areas in the lives of many children in Malaysia – those who need protection from abuse and harm, those living in poverty, children with disabilities, those without access to healthcare, education and an identity. 'Overarching all of this is the need to listen to children and involve them in the plans and decisions that affect their lives,' he said.
New Straits Times
01-05-2025
- New Straits Times
'New frontier' for tourism possible as long-forgotten WW2 Death March route rediscovered
Previous Next KOTA KINABALU: The rediscovery of the long-forgotten World War 2 Pensiangan-Beaufort Death March route is opening new frontiers for niche tourism in Sabah. Adventure guide Tham Yau Kong said the 300km Pensiangan-Beaufort route offers a profound historical narrative suited for travellers seeking immersive, purposeful journeys — particularly those drawn to war history, heritage treks and ancestral trail exploration. "This place is located in Layang-Layang, Tenom where we started our research. "During World War 2, 40 per cent of the Japanese imperial soldiers were Taiwanese, 10 per cent were Koreans, and only 50 per cent were Japanese. Many of those who died during the march were in fact Taiwanese. "The Taiwanese have waited 80 years to trace what happened to their loved ones. Now, they finally have a clue. "This is a chance for descendants to trace their ancestors. They can come visit the area," he said, adding that the research for the missing trail was prompted by a Taiwanese TV station interested in producing a documentary. He was speaking to reporters after a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between five Taiwanese universities and four Sabah tourism associations. Tham was awarded with an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) from the late Queen Elizabeth II for researching and retracing the World War 2 Sandakan-Ranau Death March route. While Japanese soldiers received burials, most Taiwanese soldiers were left with no memorials — something Tham wants to address through interpretive signage and respectful trail development. He called on the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) to support efforts to develop the route as a tourism product ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026. "We need STB's help to promote it, especially to tackle the Taiwan market. We need facilities like toilets and shelters for overnight stays," he said, adding the existing Sandakan-Ranau Death March trail already attracts many Australians — including their prime ministers.
