Sunday, May 13, 2012

Kilometer Sifar Semenanjung Malaysia / Peninsular Malaysian Kilometre Zero



Kilometer Sifar Semenanjung Malaysia di Johor Bahru (gambar ihsan Farihan Ibn Yahya)
Peninsular Malaysian Kilometre Zero at Johor Bahru (photo by Farihan Ibn Yahya)

Salam sejahtera,

Dalam entri sebelumnya, saya ada menerangkan serba-sedikit mengenai istilah Kilometer Sifar yang merupakan titik pangkal bagi sesebuah bandar, laluan jalan raya, atau rangkaian jalan raya kebangsaan. Kali ini saya ingin membicarakan mengenai Kilometer Sifar Semenanjung Malaysia yang dikira dari Pejabat Pos Johor Bahru.

Kenapa bukan Kuala Lumpur? Jawapannya mudah sahaja - kesemua laluan tulang belakang utama bagi rangkaian jalan raya Malaysia (Jalan Persekutuan 1, 3 dan 5) dikira dari Johor Bahru, meskipun titik permulaan bagi setiap laluan tersebut mungkin berbeza. Jalan Persekutuan 1 bermula dari tapak asal Kompleks Imigresen Tanjung Puteri yang sudah dirobohkan. Jalan Persekutuan 3 pula bermula dari Persimpangan Johor Bahru di KM1 Jalan Tun Abdul Razak FT1. Jalan Persekutuan 5 pula bermula di persimpangan bertingkat pangkalnya di KM19 Lebuhraya Skudai FT1.

Sementara itu, Kuala Lumpur terletak lebih kurang 380 km dari permulaan Jalan Persekutuan 1 dan 40 km dari permulaan Jalan Persekutuan 2. Oleh kerana Kuala Lumpur terletak jauh dari titik permulaan laluan tulang belakang utama, maka ia tidak sesuai dijadikan Kilometer Sifar Kebangsaan.

Dari segi sejarah pula, semua jalan raya utama di Semenanjung Malaysia bertemu di Johor Bahru sebelum ia dihubungkan ke Singapura melalui Tambak Johor apabila ia dibuka kepada lalu lintas pada tahun 1924. Dengan itu, Johor Bahru telah menjadi Kilometer Sifar Kebangsaan sejak lebih kurang 88 tahun dahulu.

Namun, apa yang mendukacitakan ialah kurangnya usaha untuk memartabatkan Kilometer Sifar Johor Bahru ini sebagai Kilometer Sifar Kebangsaan. Hanya sekeping papan tanda bersama-sama batu penunjuk jarak Kilometer Sifar Johor Bahru didirikan, menyebabkan rata-rata mesyarakat tidak mengetahui akan kewujudan Kilometer Sifar Kebangsaan ini. Usaha yang perlu dilakukan bagi memartabatkan Kilometer Sifar Kebangsaan ini ialah dengan mendirikan satu monumen peringatan oleh Kementerian Kerja Raya dengan kerjasama Kementerian Penerangan, Komunikasi dan Kebudayaan, Arkib Negara dan Kementerian Pelancongan, serta dengan pengisytiharan oleh Menteri Kerja Raya dan Perdana Menteri sendiri. Kilometer Sifar Kebangsaan di Johor Bahru wajar dimartabatkan sebagai Warisan Kebangsaan, berikutan peranannya sebagai titik pangkal sistem jalan raya negara sejak 88 tahun dahulu.




Hello everyone,

In the previous entry, I have mentioned briefly about the Kilometre Zero which becomes the beginning point of a town, highway route, or national highway network. This time, I would like to explain further regarding the Peninsular Malaysian Kilometre Zero which is calculated from Johor Bahru General Post Office.

Why not Kuala Lumpur? The answer is very simple - all three bacbone routes of Malaysian highway network (Federal Routes 1, 3 and 5) are calculated from Johor Bahru, though the actual beginning points for each routes differ. Federal Route 1 begins from the site of the demolished Tanjung Puteri Immigration Complex. Federal Route 3 on the other hand begins from Johor Bahru Interchange at KM1 Jalan Tun Abdul Razak FT1. Meanwhile, Federal Route 5 starts from its terminal interchange at KM19 Skudai Highway FT1.

Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur is located about 380 km from the beginning point of the Federal Route 1 and 40 km from the terminal point of Federal Route 2. Because Kuala Lumpur is located far away from the terminal point of the main routes, the city is rendered unsuitable to be made as the National Kilometre Zero.

In terms of history, all major highways in Peninsular Malaysia meets at Johor Bahru before being linked to Singapore via Johor Causeway when is was opened to traffic on 1924. Therefore, Johor Bahru became the National Kilometre Zero since 88 years ago.

However, it is disappointing that very few has been done to acknowledge Johor Bahru Kilometre Zero as the National Kilometre Zero. Only a mere signboard, together with Johor Bahru Kilometre Zero milestone, was erected, resulting almost everyone does not even aware about the existence of the National Kilometre Zero. The efforts that should be done in order to acknowledge the National Kilometre Zero include erecting a special memorial monument by Ministry of Works together with Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture, National Archives and Ministry of Tourism, together with the declaration by the Minister of Works and the Prime Minister themselves. The National Kilometre Zero in Johor Bahru should be promoted as the National Heritage, due to its major role as the terminal point of the national highway network since 88 years ago.

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