06Oct

Young Sabahan promotes local food through social media accounts

KOTA BELUD: A business graduate here has turned to social media to promote exotic and traditional dishes in Sabah. Pison Jaujip, 33, said traditional food was a part of Sabah’s native people’s identity and that it was important to share the information with others. “I created a social media account under the name of ‘Ropuhan Di Tanak Wagu’ to share new and improved local tradition recipes with fellow Sabahans. “It is also to convince them that our local produces are on a par with imported goods,” he said, adding that the meaning of the username is “kitchen for a young man” in Kadazandusun language. Pison started posting about traditional delicacies on his website, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube since last year. Among the photos he shared were tuhau (pickle wild ginger), bambangan (wild mango), butod (sago worm), kodop (fungus), and bee larvae. Despite being busy with his business in selling local rice, Pison finds time to obtain raw ingredients from the forest or oil palm plantation. He also likes to go to the tamu, or weekly market, here as it gives him the opportunity to exchange information about traditional food with the people there. “I have been cooking and preparing traditional food since I was a child. “I have fond memories of helping my grandmother to make bosou (fermented river fish with pangi/keluak and rice),” he said, adding that his favourite dish was the fish soup cooked with bambangan. Pison also posted videos on his social media accounts, sharing recipes of tuhau-flavoured mayonnaise, tuhau fried chicken, sambal liposu, sago crepe with banana and even tapai (rice wine). “For now, people from Sabah and Sarawak are very supportive (of what I have been doing). There are also many visitors from peninsular Malaysia asking about the ingredients for my recipes. “I hope through social media, I could generate more interest and exposure locally and abroad on Sabahan cuisines and raw ingredients.” Pison’s perseverance and passion in promoting local foods have recently started to bear fruit. He had the oppprtunity to film with a local television to showcase food, such as bambangan soup, grilled salted fish, brinjal and local banana and corns, at a campsite here. He was also invited as a guest exhibitor at several food festivals in the state to demonstrate cooking and promote local dishes to more people. Source: New Straits Times
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06Oct

Firm, UMS to develop village into tourist attraction

KOTA KINABALU: Kampung Tambisan could become the next major tourist destination in Sabah. Tambisan Travel and Tours Sdn. Bhd. managing director Antin Ismail said the village in the interior of Lahad Datu boasts rich flora and fauna, which was what inspired him to promote localsˇ way of life and culture. ¨I think the activities carried out by locals in Kampung Tambisan can be developed into a tourism product. ¨With the involvement and positive acceptance of the community towards the importance of tourism, we have decided to help develop the industry in Kampung Tambisan,〃 he said in his opening address at the letter of intent signing between Tambisan Travel and Tours Sdn. Bhd. and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). In addition to raising awareness on the role of tourism in preserving and conserving the environment, the collaboration is also to implement community-based tourism in Kampung Tambisan as well as to provide a guideline, he added. UMS Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy Dean, Associate Professor Dr Raman Nordin, said community-based tourism was a form of sustainable tourism that could positively impact the lives of locals and improve socio-economy. ¨I believe with cooperation from the local community, Tambisan is able to succeed in the project and serve as an example to other community-based tourism models in other places,〃 he said. Dr Raman also expressed hope for a stronger collaboration such as through a memorandum of understanding, so that all parties can benefit from the initiative. Source: Borneo Post
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05Oct

Sabah gets kudos for protecting forests

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has earned kudos from being the best state in preserving and protecting the forests. Academy Science Malaysia (ASM) Senior Fellow, Tan Sri Salleh Mohd Noor said the Sabah government has done the right thing to protect the state’s forests. “The continuous protection of the forests in Sabah shows the strong commitment given by the government. “With its rich biodiversity, Sabah is a unique state that has set examples to others on the aspect of forest conservation and protection,” he said at a lecture on ‘Forestry in Global Climate Change’ at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here yesterday. Salleh said that the strong cooperation among the parties concerned has seen the protection and conservation of Maliau Basin, Imbak Canyon and Danum Valley. According to him, the environmental and global changes would occur if population increase and climate change with the loss of biodiversity along the way. “When natural disaster strikes, destruction will occur and mostly it is the doing of mankind, as the environment has been compromised,” he said adding that it was mankind who will suffer in the end. On a larger scale of environment destruction, many people would be displaced. Other factors that will affect the environment is the rise in the use of fossil fuel unless it is changed, he said. In the end, mankind has to strike a balance between protecting and conserving the environment, and yet can go about in their daily activities. Salleh said that it would be a constant challenge between human development and environment protection. “We must look into development that is needed and important without jeopardising the environment that will have long-lasting effects on the future generation,” he added. The lecture was organised by the Science and Natural Resources Faculty and Human Resource, Arts and Heritage Faculty. Source: New Sabah Times
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05Oct

‘Nurturing Sabah’s Rural Creative Communities’ seminar

KOTA KINABALU: The Institute for Development Studies (Sabah) (or IDS) in partnership with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung of Germany (KAS), and in collaboration with the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu (SPArKS) is organising a seminar entitled Nurturing Sabah’s Rural Creative Communities. Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Hj Aman has been invited to declare open the one-day seminar on Oct 12 at Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa, here. Executive Director of IDS, Datuk Mohd Hasnol bin Ayub in a statement said the Creative Economy is today recognised as a leading sector in generating economic growth, employment and trade. He said the creative industries are seen as a key component in a new knowledge economy – capable of delivering urban and rural regeneration, often through initiatives linked to utilization of cultural heritage that leads to increased tourism. “In Malaysia, the Government is embarking in creative industries strategies through the National Creative Industry Policy (Dasar Industri Kreatif Negara, launched in 2011),” said Hasnol. “While in Sabah the Sabah Development Corridor Blueprint has emphasised the importance of the creative industries in order to achieve some of its key objectives.” The study on the development of creative industries in Sabah has also been initiated by the State government, he said. He added that although the national and state strategies are primarily focused on developing a creative class synonymous with an urban lifestyle and amenities, the success of the “Creative Economy” idea in Sabah is also dependent on the important role and success of rural and non-urban regions. These locations can offer a different collection of amenities that can be equally attractive to a subset of the creative class, and create self-sustaining rural creative communities. “Creativity, especially in culture, traditional heritage, and tourism assets, coupled with a vast rural area are essential keys to Sabah’s unique and distinctive identity,” Hasnol said. “In exploring the untapped potentials of rural creative communities, Sabah could position itself to boost their contribution in terms of income generation, employment and by extension, poverty reduction.” About 150 participants both from public and private sectors, NGOs, industry players and related stakeholders are expected to attend the seminar. Those interested to participate in the seminar may contact Lailah Chung or Marianne Kiob at 088-450500. Source : New Sabah Times
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04Oct

30th Mount Kinabalu Climbathon Malaysia’s toughest mountain race to pit 129 challengers

KOTA KINABALU: Dubbed Malaysia’s toughest mountain race, the 30th Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon, will see 129 runners vying for honours in Kundasang on Oct 15. The up and down the 4,095m mountain race will pit top international runners from 18 countries and local favourites for the total purse of RM36,000 in the elite men and women categories. Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming said defending champions, local mountain guide Safrey Sumping and Sandi Menchi Catlona from the Philippines will be in the starting line up for the 26km race. Runners from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, France and Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, South Africa and United States have also signed up for the race. Pang said a contingency plan has been mapped out, taking note of the bad weather last year which did not permit runners to reach the summit for safety reasons. “Apart from having several water stations and aid stations along the route, there will be two turning points for the runners which are Panarlaban and Aki View Point as a contingency plan in case of unpredictable weather,” he explained. Climbathon returned last year after taking a hiatus in 2015 due to the Ranau earthquake earlier that year, where modifications were made to the route and a smaller number were allowed to run compared to the past races which reached up to 400 participants. Flagging off at Kinabalu Park, runners will make their way to the summit of Mt Kinabalu (4,095 metre) before turning back to the park to cross the finish line, covering a total distance of 26 kilometres. The climbathon first started in 1987 where its origins can be traced to the Sabah Parks intention of creating a rapid rescue squad made up of a team of rangers who can bring down injured climbers fast from the peak or along the summit trail. Source: New Straits Times
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