OFF the coast of Port Klang in Selangor, Malaysia, there is an island known as Pulau Ketam (Crab Island).
I had the chance to visit the island recently with members of the SUDC No. 4 Class of 1970 and Sacred Heart Secondary School Class of 1975.
Our trip to the famous island was organised by our former classmate and now Malaysian businessman and billionaire, Tan Sri Clement Hii Chii Kok.
The island is accessible by ferry from the Port Klang jetty and the journey takes approximately 40 minutes.
But my friends and I travelled there in style – on board a yacht named ‘Lady Phoebe’, owned by Hii. For us, because we were cruising, the journey took longer.
Generous Hii also took time off his busy schedule to personally accompany us on the unforgettable cruise to Pulau Ketam.
Upon arrival at the Pulau Ketam jetty, I was surprised to see many electric bicycles there. Yes, electric bicycles are the main mode of transportation there and tourists can even rent a bike to explore the island.
On the island, my friends and I did not do much exploration. We just walked along a path from the jetty until we came to a place where there were a few Chinese temples.
The main roads and walkways there are concrete pavements built on stilts. This is not surprising because the island is within the intertidal zone; the inhabitants also build their houses on stilts above the high tide level.
As we walked, we had to keep to the left side of the path so that electric bicycles carrying passengers or heavy goods could pass. The cyclists would use loud horns to warn us they were coming.
Along the path, I saw many Chinese sundry shops, resembling those in olden parts of Kuching, selling all kinds of goods including salted fish, vegetables and even ice-cream.
We also walked past Pulau Ketam Police Station adorned with many Malaysian flags.
After admiring the sculptures on the Chinese temples at the end of the path, we turned back and began looking for ‘Restoran Kim Hoe’ (Kim Hoe Restaurant) where Hii, our host, was waiting for us. He had ordered a delicious seafood feast for us.
Hii had brought us to Pulau Ketam just for the treat. And what a feast it was!
There were prawns, fish, bamboo clams, crabs, squids, etc, cooked in different styles as well as oyster omelettes.
Seafood is a popular attraction there and Pulau Ketam is also a major provider of fish, crabs and prawns to the Klang Valley.
I later learnt the island was originally a mangrove swamp known for its crabs and that Hainanese fishermen from Port Klang were the first to arrive and catch crabs there, initially making daily trips back to the mainland.
The settlement was set up around 1880 by Teochew and Hokkien Chinese immigrants who came to fish. The population expanded during World War II when the Chinese from Taiwan fled the Japanese invasion and settled on the island.
While fishing is the primary economic activity, tourism has grown, making Pulau Ketam a popular destination.
After the unforgettable seafood feast, my friends and I and Hii, our generous host, left the island by boarding ‘Lady Phoebe’ back to Kuala Lumpur.
I will remember Pulau Ketam, the trip and the seafood feast there for a long time to come.
