Sabah to be the most favoured destination

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah will be "Malaysia's Favourite Destination" at the Matta Fair in Kuala Lumpur from March 15-17 at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). Sabah Tourism Board Senior Manager (Research Division), Angeline Engchuan, said Sabah Tourism Board (STB) would be in partnership with Matta (Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents). As a marketing strategy for Domestic Market in 2019, it would be widely promoted through various platforms such as Matta's website and media partner's website as well as social media network, electronic and print media. STB also proposed a partnership with Malaysia airlines for the Matta event during a meeting with the airline's CEO, Capt Izah Ismail, on Monday. In this respect, Capt. Izham said, Malaysia Airlines will initiate a workshop on how to promote Sabah as a holiday destination. "STB will also collaborate with Malaysia Airlines overseas offices to promote Sabah," said Angeline, adding that STB also proposed that Malaysia Airlines play a promo video on Sabah on domestic flights. At the event Capt Izham said that the airline has not been flying a lot into Sabah since the MH370 incident in 2014 which went missing without a trace with some 300 passengers on board. "To make matters worse, three months later, MH17 (shooting down of plane over Ukraine) happened. We were basically on our knees. The Government felt strongly that Malaysia needs a national carrier so we continued. "We don't have assets that we wish we could fly, say KL-Sandakan five times a day. But KL-Tawau is booming. Even with those numbers, we don't have the assets to fly a lot. We really have to position our assets at the most profitable route for us. We are taking away flights that are not making money but it is not easy to exit a route," he said. He said KL-KK, KL-Tokyo, KL-Incheon and KL-India are the profitable routes for MAB and hopes to "see sunshine" by 2020. Despite what happened, Malaysia Airlines is a perfectly safe airline, he said. Source : Daily Express
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Help for Sabah’s clouded leopards

Kota Kinabalu: The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildlifeCRU) of Zoology, Oxford University in the United Kingdom has created a Tool Kit for the conservation of forest biodiversity and Sunda clouded leopards in Sabah, which are said to number around 750 in Sabah, by far the best haven for the creature in Malaysia. Founder and now Director of WildCRU, Profn David Macdonald from Oxford University said this tool optimises the trade-off between conservation and development. He founded WildCRU in 1986 as the first University Conservation Unit in the world whose mission is to undertake research that could be useful. "We hope we have created a gift, a present, for your Government that you might find useful to Sabah and conservation. We spent more than 10 years led by Dr Andrew Hearn (Postdoctoral Researcher and Scientist) living in Sabah trying to find out the ecology of a special species in Sabah - the Sunda clouded leopard - and to use that to understand the relationship between conservation and development. "We were trying to understand the basic ecology of this remarkable charismatic apex predator so we could use it as a model for understanding forest conservation. "There will always be some tension between development and conservation but we believe we have made a tool to help get the answer right when Sabah faces difficult choices. That will be a triumph for the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment and for the Government," he said during a courtesy call on Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Christina Liew, recently. Prof David, who first set foot on Borneo at age 20, touched on the 2033 Structure Plan for Sabah where they explored 58 different possible developments (examples, new roads, new railways, etc). "In each case, we model how the distribution of the clouded leopards and the linkages of the corridors would be affected by each development plan. And that, we believe, gives us a tool, a powerful scientific method that your Government and your officials might find helpful in evaluating the best compromise, an optimal compromise between development and protection of nature," he said. He hoped the Government would be interested in using the WildCRU Model to help in the decision-making process when considering developments like roads, hydropower, reforestation or restoration of certain habitat. Prof David also introduced members of his WildCRU Team - Dr Andrew who dedicated his life to Sabah and difficult field work, Dr Samuel Cushman, a world expert in landscape ecology for planning (Director, Centre for Landscape Science, US Forest Service, USA, and WildCRU, University of Oxford), Dr Dawn Burnham who is the Manager of WildCRU and a conservation researcher), Dr Zaneta Kaszta, a Postdoctoral Conservation Researcher, and Chrishen Gomez, a Malaysian who is the Research Manager of WildCRU, University of Oxford. Currently, Dr Andrew and Chrishen are based in Tawau. WildCRU's next direction in Sabah will be influenced by the Ministry's and State Government's forthcoming decision whether the Unit's continuing work can be helpful to the State. "We have got to this point...finding our own money and doing our own work. Of course, you (Minister) may decide whether this is a 'gift' you want or otherwise. If you decide to go forward with us, if you decide that our approaches are useful for Sabah, then we would be very honoured and happy to work with you and the Government to try and develop a bigger project for the future. Our goal is to be useful people. Maybe we could somehow collaborate, as government and university can make a powerful team," he said. Liew said the appreciated the efforts put in by the team and would discuss with Ministry pfficials before deciding whether WildCRU will maintain its work as it is now or have a bigger scope of work. Any funding will have to be within the capacity of the Government, she said" Both Liew and Prof David agreed that the clouded leopard is a beautiful, charismatic and important species where Sabah has the best population. "Preservation of wildlife is precious to the State while it implements its development agenda. The clouded leopard is God's gift to Sabah," she remarked. Prof David said Sabah has the most clouded leopards compared with Sarawak and the Peninsula, adding "Sabah is the jewel in the Crown." According to scientist Dr Andrew, the estimated population size of the Sunda clouded leopard in Sabah is in the region of 750. "That's not many...but this (Sabah) is really the 'hotspot' in Borneo," he quipped. WildCRU has two million images of the her enlightening the Minister, the Director of WildCRU said WildCRU's detailed understanding of the animal is based now on camera-trapping. "This has been really hard work and we use those images to work with scientist Dr Samuel on really modern analytical techniques to generalise to where these animals would be throughout Sabah." With the aid of satellite tracking devices, Dr Andrew has captured three clouded leopards. Prof David added : "So we know exactly where they went and that allowed us in the Kinabatangan River to draw a map saying which habitats are very good for the clouded leopards, which are less good and which are bad. Oil-palm plantations are very bad but forests are very good." He showed the Minister a map that helps researchers identify danger points where the habitat might get broken so the animals cannot move between them as a result. Taking all that sort of information, the Professor said it gives them an idea of the present where those animals are living. Another map shows a summary of the best places for this particular species for the whole country, and probably for many other aspects of forest biodiversity in Sabah. "It's not only where they are living but what corridors or routes they might take through the landscape. In other words, we can see where they are living and how they might disperse and move through the landscape." While conceding that the clouded leopard is important, Prof David said WildCRU is using the animal more as a symbol of forest conservation. "The leopard is your greatest credit. Remember, if we protect the habitat for the clouded leopard, then we are also protecting the habitat for all of its prey and for all of the other species that travel with it. "So we chose the clouded leopard, not only because it is interesting and important but also because we think it is a good way to understand forest conservation as a whole. So yes, let us be excited about the clouded leopard as a symbol to protect forests," he pointed out. On the importance of using the WildCRU's Conservation Tool Kit, the Professor asserted that it is to consider what the consequences might be from development programmes. Such programmes could be new roads, new railways or in forest restoration. "For each case, the Government must make difficult choices. Our hope is that our model will enable the Government to see some consequences for forest biodiversity, some consequences for conservation, of each choice."   Source: Daily Express
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Birdwatching as new tourism package.

Sandakan: Birdwatching is the fastest growing outdoor activity that has the potential to be one of the main tourism contributors in the State. Permanent Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Datuk Datu Rosmadi Datu Sulai, said if birdwatching can be properly exposed, it can be among prominent players in Sabah's tourism sector. "I was told that Sabah is home to some 688 types of bird species which attracted not only local but also international birdwatchers. "Sabah is also rich in eco-tourism and birdwatchers are know to do their birdwatching in well-known eco-tourism spots. "There are around seven places in the State that are visited regularly by birdwatchers such as Sandakan Rainforest Discovery Centre, Danum Valley, Kinabalu Park, Likas Bay and Tabin," he said. He said in order to encourage and boost the birdwatching activity and turn it into a tourism package, the Ministry will organise a meeting with the tour operators. Datu Rosmadi was speaking at the opening of 10th Borneo Bird Festival at Sandakan Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC). Meanwhile, he advised tourism players to shoulder their obligation as the custodian of the environment, thus, appreciating the world class eco-tourism spots in Sabah. Also present at the ceremony were President of Sandakan Borneo Bird Club Sabah, Gary Albert, Chief Conservator of Sabah Forestry Department, Datuk Mashor Mohd Jaini, Elopura Assemblyman Calvin Chong, speakers, birdwatchers and members of the public. In the ceremony, Datu Rosmadi also launched "A naturalist's guide to the Birds of Borneo" written by Wong Tsu Shi, a keen photographer who is in interested in the photo-documentation of the birds of Borneo. His book is an easy-to-use identification guide to 280 birds found in Borneo covering Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan including the most commonly seen and rare endemic species. The two-day event was enlivened with various activities such as talks, bird photography, guided birdwatching, bird mimic contest, bird race, booth exhibitions, Borneo bird run and so forth. - Winnie Kasmir   Source : Daily Express
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STB’s first Christmas celebration

Kota Kinabalu: Gaya Street was transformed into a fairyland of lights and carols Tuesday for Sabah Tourism Board's (STB) first Christmas celebration.Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment Datuk Christina Liew, when launching the event, said the Christmas tree placed in front of the historic century-old STB office was made out of daily reusable items including plastic cups, cake covers, ice cream sticks, clothes pegs and others. "In all of our initiatives and events this year, we have been emphasising on cleanliness and no single-use plastic, in our efforts to ensure a clean and unpolluted Sabah," she said. Children who were present were overjoyed when Liew and her Ministry staff along with STB started distributing presents to children from Pediatrics Ward of the Sabah Hospital for Women and Children in Likas.She commended STB for attracting a large number of locals and tourists for the festive celebration. "I am pleased to see a huge crowed supporting this huge event and I hope this will be a tradition where we, regardless of backgrounds and ethnicities, come together to mark the year-end holiday season here in Kota Kinabalu," she said. Many stalls were set up offering local products besides food and drink stalls as well food trucks. - Locksley Ng Source : Daily Express
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Sabah Govt launches weekly night market in Gaya Street to boost tourism.

KOTA KINABALU: Tourists and visitors looking for a quick taste of Sabah can now stroll along Gaya Street to check out the various handicraft and local bites at the weekly Api Api Night Food Market. The inaugural weekend night market at the city's famous Gaya Street will take place every Friday and Saturday, starting from 6pm to 2am. Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said one way to boost tourism and inject soul to the city is by attracting many people to Gaya Street, which was already popular for its Sunday morning fairs. "A holiday in Kota Kinabalu will not be complete without visiting the Night Food Market or Gaya Street Fair, where there is plenty to see and learn about local culture and food. Liew, who is also the State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, said Gaya Street was selected as the location due to its historical features, with some of its shops built over 100 years ago. Other efforts to keep the city vibrant and buzzing with activity included setting aside the section of Gaya Street, known as Lintasan Deasoka, for food trucks. "Lintasan Deasoka itself will become a spot for entertainers to display their talent. It can also be a place to hold events such as fashion shows and dance performances. "This will add value and lend an air of festivity to the night market," she said on Saturday (Dec 1). Liew said for tourists to choose Sabah as their annual holiday destination, the authorities must ensure that public toilets and food premises are always clean, in addition to properly maintaining public facilities. "The key is cleanliness because no tourist would want to return if basic considerations such as cleanliness are absent. Keep Kota Kinabalu clean. Keep Sabah clean. "Cleanliness is not only essential to ensure a healthy life for everybody, but it is also important if we want tourists to keep coming back," she elaborated. According to Liew, another aspect that must not be neglected is security. "Only barely two weeks ago, the KK Watch was launched to help boost security in the city. "This patrol team was formed to make Kota Kinabalu a safe city and so people can feel secure when walking the streets at night," she said. Source : Star Online
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