Kembara Insan: A Journey That Began in Silence

Attending Diploma in Palm Oil Milling Technology by MPOB in 2007 is an eye opener to overall palm oil industry. 

In 2009, I started writing on Blogspot.

At that time, I was working deep in the jungle—far from towns, far from comfort, and far from the internet. For almost six years, I lived and worked in isolation, with no real connection to the outside world. The plantation was my world, the mill my classroom, and experience my greatest teacher.

Everything changed when I finally gained internet access in Miri.

For the first time in years, I could connect with the world again. And I realised something important—there were countless untold stories from the palm oil industry. Stories about hardship, resilience, engineering challenges, leadership, and human struggle. Stories that deserved to be shared.

That was how Kembara Insan Blog was born—16 years ago.

Many people asked me, “Why do you write?”

My answer is simple: today, it is becoming increasingly rare to find engineers who write. Engineers who document their journey, share their lessons, and reflect on life beyond drawings, machines, and KPIs.

I write because I want to change that.

Writing is not just about words; it is about leaving a trail for the next generation. If my experiences can inspire, guide, or even comfort someone walking a similar path—then every word is worth it.

This is my journey.

This is Kembara Insan.

---

Why i creating this blog?

Due to below

1. Get out of your head and write from your heart. 

2. Some write to inspire and some inspire to write. (Alankrita) 

3. All you have to do is to write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know. (Ernest Hemingway) 

4. It is okay to write garbage - as long as you edit brilliantly. (C.J. Cherryh) 

5. Don't forget, no one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell. (Charles de Lint) 6. I write to inspire, to create, to motivate. (Christen Blades) 

7. Look it your heart and write. 

8. You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say. (F. Scott Fitzgerald) 

9. If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word. (Margaret Atwood) 

10. Better to write for yourself and have no public, than write for the public and have no self. (Cyril Connolly) 

11. I write to inspire, I write to educate, I write to give voice to the voiceless, I write because my world depends on my work, I write because I want to he heard even without a platform. (Love Igbeboh) 

12. By doing what you love, you inspire & awaken the hearts of others. 

13. Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress. (Grace Lichtenstein)

#KembaraInsan

#EngineerWrites

#LifeOfAnEngineer

#PalmOilIndustry

#PlantationLife

#EngineeringJourney

#FromJungleToWorld

#SharingKnowledge

#UntoldStories

#LeadershipThroughExperience

#TechnicalLife

#EngineersOfLinkedIn

#WritingEngineers

#IndustrialJourney

Linkeldn and Media Sosial

Saya selalu menganggap LinkedIn dan media sosial sebagai jurnal peribadi saya. Tempat saya berkongsi pengalaman hidup dan perjalanan kerjaya sebagai seorang jurutera. Lebih daripada sekadar platform, ia adalah ruang untuk saya melihat kembali perkembangan diri, mencatat apa yang saya pelajari, dan berkongsi nilai dengan sesiapa yang sudi membacanya.

Di Facebook, saya sangat berhati-hati dalam memilih siapa yang saya benarkan dalam friendlist. Ramai juga yang saya tolak atau remove. Prinsip saya mudah — bukan soal jumlah, tetapi menerima hanya mereka yang benar-benar mahu menerima saya seada-adanya. Jika tidak, lebih baik saya tolak dari awal.

Namun realitinya, apabila bekerja dalam organisasi, media sosial bukan lagi hal yang seratus peratus peribadi. Ada satu ketika, sebuah post saya menjadi isu. Saya juga pernah ditegur kerana terlalu aktif berkongsi pandangan politik. Walaupun niat saya menulis adalah atas kapasiti peribadi, tetapi kerana ada rakan sekerja di dalam friendlist, ia akhirnya dianggap isu organisasi.

Perkara yang sama berlaku di LinkedIn. Dahulu saya bangga menyenaraikan setiap tempat kerja, pengalaman dan pencapaian saya. Tetapi sejak beberapa bulan lalu, saya memadam semua rekod pengalaman tersebut. Bukan kerana saya malu, tetapi kerana saya sedar — apa yang saya kongsi boleh disalah tafsir menjadi isu organisasi, bukan peribadi.

Hari ini, saya berdiri atas nama saya sendiri. Bukan atas nama mana-mana jawatan atau organisasi. Saya menulis sebagai Kembara Insan, seorang blogger dan pemerhati kehidupan. Jika ada rakan-rakan yang rasa perkongsian saya bermanfaat, saya alu-alukan untuk follow. Tetapi jika sebaliknya, tidak mengapa — unfollow atau remove juga satu pilihan yang saya hormati.

Media sosial bagi saya adalah ruang untuk belajar, mencermin diri, dan memberi nilai. Dan saya akan terus menulis selagi ia membantu saya berkembang serta memberi sesuatu kepada sesiapa yang membaca.

---

#blog #blogger

Ikan Nila atau Talapia

Beberapa kali ke pasar, di sini banyak ikan nila. Kalau ke kedai makan, menu ikan nila pasti ada. Rupanya ia adalah industri besar di Indonesia.

🐟 Overview

Ikan nila (Oreochromis niloticus) — or Nile tilapia — is one of the most important freshwater fish species in Indonesia. It’s widely farmed for local consumption and export, thanks to its:

• Fast growth rate
• High tolerance to varied environments
• Good taste and high protein value
• Affordable production cost

Tilapia is sometimes called the “chicken of fish” because it’s cheap, grows fast, and can be raised almost anywhere.

---

🌏 Production and Regions

Indonesia is one of the world’s top 5 producers of tilapia (after China, Egypt, Brazil, and the Philippines).

Main producing regions:

• West Java (Bogor, Sukabumi, Cianjur)
• Central Java (Boyolali, Banjarnegara)
• North Sumatra (around Lake Toba)
• South Sulawesi
• Lampung

Lake Toba is especially famous for high-quality tilapia farming, both for domestic markets and for export to the U.S. and Middle East.

---

💧 Farming Systems

1. Keramba jaring apung (KJA) — floating net cages in lakes or reservoirs
2. Kolam tanah (earthen ponds) — most common for small-scale farmers
3. Kolam beton (concrete tanks) — more controlled, used for seed and hatchery operations
4. Biofloc systems — newer technology, reducing waste and increasing feed efficiency

Most farmers use semi-intensive systems, feeding fish with commercial pellets and relying on natural pond productivity.

---

💰 Economics

• Seed to harvest: 4–6 months (fish reach 500–800 grams)
• Feed conversion ratio (FCR): 1.2–1.5
• Market price: ~Rp 25,000–40,000/kg (depending on region and size)
• Profit margin: Typically 15–30% for efficient farmers

Export products:

• Frozen fillets
• Fresh/chilled fish
• Whole gutted fish

Main export destinations:
United States, Middle East, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

---

🏭 Major Companies

Some key players include:

• PT Regal Springs Indonesia (RSI) — the largest tilapia exporter in Indonesia, based near Lake Toba.
• PT Aqua Farm Nusantara — known for sustainable tilapia operations and international certification (ASC, BAP).

They maintain international standards for traceability, sustainability, and environmental management.

---

🌿 Sustainability and Challenges

Challenges:

• Water pollution from feed waste and overstocking
• Disease outbreaks (e.g., Streptococcus spp.)
• Rising feed prices
• Lack of quality broodstock
• Climate-related water level fluctuations in lakes

Sustainability efforts:

• Promotion of eco-friendly aquaculture (low-impact cages)
• Integrated farming and recirculating systems
• Certification programs (ASC – Aquaculture Stewardship Council, GAP – Good Aquaculture Practice)

---

📈 Future Outlook

Indonesia’s government (Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan) promotes tilapia as a strategic aquaculture commodity, aiming to:

• Increase production and export value
• Improve genetic quality through selective breeding (e.g., “Nila Gesit”, “Nila Nirwana”, “Nila BEST”)
• Support small farmers with training and technology

The target is to make tilapia a top 3 aquaculture export commodity, alongside shrimp and catfish.

---

🇮🇩 Summary

Aspect	Details
Species	Oreochromis niloticus (Nile Tilapia)
Main Regions	North Sumatra, West & Central Java, South Sulawesi, Lampung
Farming System	KJA, kolam tanah, biofloc
Export Markets	USA, Japan, Middle East
Key Companies	Regal Springs, Aqua Farm Nusantara
Challenges	Disease, feed cost, environment
Government Focus	Sustainable production, export growth

#nila #talapia