🌱 The Planter’s Touch – A Story for Kids

(Inspired by the reflections of Tan Sri Basir Ismail)

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1. Long Ago in the Land of Palms

Once upon a time, in a green and sunny land filled with coconut and palm trees, there were three small farms: Sime, Guthrie, and Golden Hope.
They were not big, but the people who took care of them loved the land very much. They worked with their hands, felt the soil, watched the trees grow tall, and always talked kindly to the workers.

[Illustration idea: A peaceful village with palm trees, small huts, and kind planters smiling at workers and checking plants with their hands.]

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2. The Planter’s Secret

One planter named Pak Basir said,

“You need to feel the soil. You need to know your trees. You can’t just look at numbers on paper.”

He always walked the land in his muddy boots, talked to the trees, and treated every worker like family. His touch made trees grow better, and people worked happily.

[Illustration idea: Pak Basir crouching to touch the soil while children look on in wonder, and trees glowing with health.]

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3. A Big Idea

One day, some people in suits came from the city.

“Let’s make a giant plantation by joining Sime, Guthrie, and Golden Hope!” they said.
“It will be one of the biggest in the world!”

Some people were excited. Some were worried.

A little girl named Aina asked Pak Basir,

“Will bigger be better?”

Pak Basir smiled and said,

“Only if the heart stays the same. Big or small, the planter’s touch must stay.”

[Illustration idea: City men pointing at maps in a boardroom, while Aina watches Pak Basir planting a seedling nearby.]

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4. Lessons from the Past

Pak Basir told Aina,

“These farms grew from nothing. With love, sweat, and care. Machines and offices can’t replace the feeling of the earth.”

He taught her how to plant gently, water slowly, and smile while working.

[Illustration idea: A gentle scene of Pak Basir and Aina planting a tree together.]

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5. The New Beginning

In the end, the three farms did join together. They became big, strong, and famous. But people never forgot the lesson of the planter’s touch.

Aina grew up and became a planter too. She wore boots like Pak Basir and walked the land every morning. Wherever she went, the trees whispered,

“She remembers…”

[Illustration idea: A grown-up Aina walking in a vast plantation, workers smiling, and birds flying over healthy trees.]

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🌿 Moral of the Story:

Bigger isn’t always better — unless you keep the love and care in everything you do. A true planter uses not just tools, but heart and hands.