18Jun

Congress puts Sabah on global map

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah is an "unpolished diamond" as far as China's giant tourism market is concerned. Hence, more events such as the recent Third Jiangmen Youth World Congress need to be hosted to generate greater awareness among the Chinese tourists. Sabah United Tze Yip Association President Datuk Susan Wong, who was also the organising chairperson of the biennial congress, said the Chinese delegates from Jiangmen told her that with more promotions Sabah is becoming more popular as a tourist destination for tourists from China. Susan admitted that at first she thought she was hosting just another congress but soon realised that it actually had the multiplying effect on other business sectors, particularly Sabah's tourism. "The delegates said Kota Kinabalu, in particular, has lived up to its Nature Resort City status with the clean air, beautiful beaches and islands surrounded by crystal clear water. All of them want to come back again," she said. About 1,000 delegates from all over the world including Europe, Canada and United States whose families originated from Jiangmen attended the three-day congress early this month. "Most of them have never heard of Sabah and Kota Kinabalu until they came here. So the congress was like putting Sabah on a global map," she said when asked on the successes achieved through the congress. Furthermore, Tourism, Environment and Culture Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun had said that Malaysia, particularly Sabah, is becoming popular among the Chinese tourists as their arrivals here had increased by 45 per cent to 59,385 during the first four months this year. During the same period last year, tourist arrivals from China were only 40,798. "I am glad to be able to help promote Sabah and feel very honoured that I can contribute to Sabah," she said. The congress at the Magellan Sutera was the first time that it was held outside of China's territory. Since it was the first time that the event was not held in China, Susan said, so many special programmes were lined up such as the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding of Intent by three travel agents and six business companies from Sabah and China. The MoU, she said, is expected to generate a total of RM30 million in income. According to her, in pursuant to the memorandum of friendly exchange between the Jiangmen Municipality and Kota KInabalu City, she would be going to Jiangmen next week to get the official invitation letter for Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir to visit there. "The delegates were also impressed and touched by the statement of our Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman during the opening ceremony in his speech read by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai. "Our Chief Minister said youths are our hope and our future leaders. The delegates are touched by the statement," she said. At the end of the congress, Susan did Sabah proud when she became the first recipient of the top award for the Jiangmen World Youth congress. Also receiving the award was another Sabahan, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk V K Liew. "To sum up, I am happy that the Third World Jiangmen Youth Congress had produced excellent result not only for the delegates but also Sabah, Malaysia," she said. The fourth World Jiangmen Youth Congress would be in 2015 to be hosted by Hong Kong. Source : Daily Express
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18Jun

RM300,000 for promotion of Sabah Agri Park

Tenom: The Federal Tourism Ministry has approved a total RM300,000 for the promotion of the Sabah Agriculture Park at Lagud Sebrang here. Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen approved RM100,000 for the Sabah Agriculture Park Orchid Festival beginning next year, aimed at promoting the park to both domestic and international visitors. She also approved RM200,000 as applied for by the park management to provide information signage for all the new hybrid species in the park. For the festival, she said the impact on boosting the number of visitors to the park would be assessed first to see if it could be continued. Speaking during her maiden visit to the park here Wednesday, Ng said the park that was built in 1981 has about 350 orchid species in its collection and ranked as among the best in the region. In fact, she said Malaysia ranked 12th biggest in the world in terms of its flora and fauna. "We are a bit disappointed that the Sabah Agriculture Park is not recording the number of visitors so that we can monitor its performance. This park is so mesmerising, furthermore there are so many flowers and herbs such as the clerodendrum," she said. On the information signage, Ng urged the park management to make it with quality with tourism features as an added attraction for the visitors. Meanwhile, she said last year the tourism sector contributed RM58.4 billion to the country with 24.7 million arrivals and from among them three million came to Sabah producing a tourism receipt of RM5 billion. "We hope the Sabah Agriculture Park will be able to cooperate with tourism agents to include the park as among the destinations in their tourism calendar. "All the activities must be included in a package," she said. Hoteliers and homestay operators must also offer reasonable rates but most importantly the surroundings must be kept clean and equipped with facilities such public transportation, she said. "Tourists prefer to stay in budget hotels rather than the luxury type," she said. Accompanying Ng were Sabah Tourism Promotion Board Chairman, Datuk Tengku Adlin, his deputy, Datuk Sari Suhut and State Agriculture Director, Datuk M C Ismail. She was greeted by Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Radin Malleh and District Officer, Siriman M F Basir as well as other senior government officers and local community leaders. Source : Daily Express
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18Jun

Kaamatan Open House To Draw Sabah’s Rural Residents

KENINGAU (Sabah), June 14 (Bernama) -- The national Kaamatan Festival is being held on Saturday (June 16) for the first time in the rural district of Keningau, allowing thousands of rural residents to participate. The festival in Keningau will also become the meeting point for local residents and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who will be in attendance to launch the festival. Many residents from surrounding areas, including Tambunan, Nabawan and Tenom, are planning to visit the Tadau Kaamatan Malaysia Open House. Since 2009 the festival has been held in Padang Merdeka Kota Kinabalu and this is the first time it has been moved to the outskirts. RURAL DWELLERS ARE EXCITED Among the excited local residents are Dr Helen Seminggau, a dentist, who has never had the opportunity to attend the national celebration in Kota Kinabalu due to the distance involved and time constraints. Dr Helen, who comes from the Sook sub-district, noted that she would not miss the opportunity to participate in the festival this year. "We, the dwellers here, thank the Information Communication and Culture Ministry under the leadership of Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, and the Sabah state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, for choosing Keningau as the venue for the festival," she told Bernama. Dr Helen, who operates a dental clinic in Keningau town, said choosing Keningau was a brilliant idea and reflected the government's earnestness in realising the 1Malaysia concept envisioned by the prime minister. Other than that, the national level Kaamatan celebration is another honour for the Keningau district, since Kadazandusun-Murut College (KDM College) is to be launched on the following day by the prime minister in Tambunan, she said. HELPING TO DIVERSIFY SABAH'S TOURISM PRODUCTS The National Level Kaamatan Festival is one of the activities surrounding the Kaamatan festival, celebrated every 30 and 31 May in Sabah, to bolster national unity and the tourism industry. It also highlights the good relations between both the state and the federal government. In his closing speech at the Pesta Kaamatan celebration on May 31, Kadazandusun Cultural Association President (KDCA) Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan noted that the Pesta Kaamatan actually served as a unity platform for the various ethnic groups in the state. The deputy chief minister noted that Keningau, being the host, received support from thousands of Sabahans, especially those from rural areas. Meanwhile, Melalap (Tenom) State Assemblyman Datuk Radin Malleh described Keningau as a timely choice for this year's celebration. "This is the best platform to preserve and encourage our local culture, while celebrating our thanks," he said. NAJIB'S PRESENCE TO STRENGTHEN 1MALAYSIA RESOLVE The Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Office noted that Keningau is the perfect choice in hosting the event, as it was the location where Pairin, the paramount leader (Huguan Siou) of the Kadazandusun community, hailed from. Morinie Linus, 32, from Lumondou, near Tambunan, noted that Keningau, as the host, would provide Sabah the best opportunity to display the state's ethnic cultures, especially those of the Kadazandusun Murut. "With the prime minister's presence in Keningau, it is hoped that more people from numerous ethnic groups will come to the festival in the spirit of unity and 1Malaysia," she said. As for promoting local tourism, she said the festival served as the best opportunity to promote the interesting tourism sites in the state, especially Keningau and Tambunan, as both were relatively unknown, with Sabah having numerous eco-tourism attractions. RESIDENTS HOPING FOR "OLE-OLE" FROM NAJIB "My hope is that the prime minister, during his visit to Keningau, will be able to see the development in Sabah, especially on the outskirts, which is still less developed than are the towns," she said. Efah Petrus, 44, a villager from Kampung Toboh Laut in Keningau, said she was happy to learn that the prime minister would be visiting Keningau and officiating at the Sabah Foundation's Handicraft Centre. This indicated that Najib has always been a leader, with the people close to his heart and looking into the problems faced by the people in the rural areas. "These are the leaders that we want. Apart from focusing on towns, the number one leader in the country has never forgotten the plight of the villagers in rural areas like in Keningau," she said. Efah believed that thousands of villagers were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the prime minister, who had introduced numerous programmes to reduce the people's burden, including the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M), the RM100 cash for each student and RM200 for undergraduates. Wendy F.Gabrial, 26, from the Belia Tiulon Resettlement Village in Sook, noted that the prime minister's visit to Keningau is very meaningful for the villagers. She said in jest that in those days, leaders who entered the village for the first time would announce a boon, or "ole-ole" like the locals called it, as something to remember. No matter what, Najib's presence at Keningau is a boon for the local residents, who would definitely enjoy better amenities in the future. Source : Bernama
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14Jun

Kudat homestay to further boost tourism industry

KUDAT: A collaboration between MASwings and the Homestay Association Sabah is expected to bring the tourism industry to a higher level. Dubbed the MASwings Adventure – Misompuru Homestay Kudat, the programme is also part of the Tourism Ministry’s effort to include locals in the rural areas to play their part in the industry. “MASwings realised that the homestay programme is a niche tourism market and I believe this is not a bad investment since it is not available anywhere else in the world. “We want to show the world that Malaysia is a multi-cultural country, the people come from different ethnics and cultures and yet we can live together in harmony,” said Tourism Minister Datuk Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen, adding that the packages are sold through their brandings ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’ and ‘Cuti-Cuti Malaysia’. She added that even the tourist turnout for homestay programmes in Sabah doubled from 17,528 people in 2010 to 34,578 people last year. “The tourism receipts also increased from RM2.46 million in 2010 to RM3.54 million last year, and for the first four months this year, the revenue is totalled at RM1.04 million derived from 7,714 visitors,” she said when launching the package here yesterday. Ng said that locals in the rural areas now have an alternative to earn a living, adding: “You no longer have to depend on agriculture or the forest to earn a living. It is time to divert to the service industry which brings more lucrative returns.” She pointed out that the homestay programme is another way to promote the local cultures and their way of living. “You can take them to catch fish, rubber tapping or beading activities … these are the experiences they are looking for and I believe they will bring home the sweet memories of their stay here and share them with friends.” Ng said that this is also in line with the move to promote Airline Homestay in East Malaysia, similarly to Railway Homestay in Peninsular Malaysia. She added her ministry is also aggressively promoting the homestay programmes, and currently through an application which can be downloaded from the Ipad and Iphone gadgets by clicking ‘Go 2 Homestay’. The Misompuru Homestay was named as among the top three best homestay programmes in Malaysia. It is two-hour-and-a-half drive from Kota Kinabalu, and recorded a total of 1,126 visitors in 2010 earning a total of RM276,381. The number of visitors swelled to 14,912 last year and revenue collected increased to RM710,943. MASwings Business Development and Charters head Zamani Maran Abdullah disclosed that response has been encouraging to the package. “We rather had a slow start when the programme was introduced in September last year but bookings have picked up this year, thanks to the promotion by the ministry and the Sabah Homestay Association,” he said. Zamani said they are enjoying a 20 per cent increase in bookings this year, adding that MASwings will also be exploring other homestays in Sabah for a similar package. MASwings currently flies twice weekly to the district on a 19-seater Twin Otter aircraft on Mondays and Thursdays. Meanwhile, Sabah Homestay Association president Jeffry Yahya said the programme participants are complimenting each other. “We should not outdo one another but rather compliment each other. We need not be the best but be the ‘shiniest’ of all,” he said. Also present at the event was Sabah Tourism Malaysia Ministry Office director Nely Nasir.  
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14Jun

Miss Earth finalists learn how to conserve environment

KOTA KINABALU: The organisers of Miss Sabah Earth 2012 hope to teach the finalists of the competition about the benefits and ways of conserving the natural environment in Sabah through fun yet educational activities. The 12 finalists spent a day in Tamparuli on Tuesday, visiting various eco-tourism venues and trying out the activities, all whilst learning about the history and how the place sustains itself from, and gives back to nature. Starting the day with an adrenaline rush, a visit to Zip Borneo had the girls climbing up 18 meters and then zip-lining across the river on Sabah’s longest zip-line, then climbing the same staircase for some abseiling or high rope challenges. During the tour of the ‘Rumah Terbalik’, or Upside Down House, the finalists were told the story behind the concept of the house, and the eco-message of not turning the environment ‘upside down’. The last destination was Kampung Poturidong in Kiulu, which welcomed the Miss Earth Sabah finalists with traditional delicacies and activities such as walking across the hanging bridge, feeding fish in the river and planting trees. Traditional instruments were played as the finalists did an impromptu sumazau dance and mingled with the VIPs and guests. On Monday, the finalists attended talks by Daniel Doughty from Borneo Conservancy entitled ‘Conservation and Environmental Issues in Sabah’ and ‘Confidence Through Public Speaking’ by Richard A Gontusan, DTM Toastmasters International. Doughty posed thought-provoking questions, gave the girls a group exercise asking them to discuss what development meant to each of them, as well as advised them that it is never too late to start going green, and to take their newly gained knowledge beyond the competition. Gontusan gave examples on how to pull in your audience with a good speech with humour, while emphasising on the importance of good body language, eye contact and pronunciation. Each finalist was also given the opportunity to get personal feedback from Gontusan. In the evening, the 12 finalists took to the cashier counters at Giant Hypermarket in City Mall to participate in a ‘No Plastic Bag’ challenge. They were all required to encourage shoppers to use less plastic bags and use eco-friendly bags in support of a healthier Mother Earth. The purpose of the challenge is to create public awareness of the No Plastic Bag days already implemented by the Sabah government. Other than that, Miss Earth Sabah wants the finalists to be educated on the benefits of using less plastic and carrying their eco-friendly bags instead. The winner of the challenge will be awarded the subsidiary title Miss Eco Giant. Miss Earth Sabah 2011 Olivia Vun made a pledge to WWF not to use plastic bags or bottles for a year, and she hopes this year’s winner will do the same. The finalists also joined Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun for high tea at Silk Garden, Sutera Harbour on Monday, which was hosted by the Sabah Tourism Board. Masidi emphasised the importance of good communication skills, especially public speaking when it comes to being an eco-ambassador. Also present were Datuk Irene Benggon Charuruks, general manager of Sabah Tourism Board, Miss Mandy Nandu, the organising chairperson of Miss Earth Sabah, and Olivia Vun. The grand coronation of Miss Earth Sabah 2012 will be held on June 16 at the Magellan Sutera Resort Grand Ballroom. Tickets are available at RM200, RM300, and RM500. For enquiries please call 017-8933822. Source : Borneo Post
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