26Sep

Sabah benefits from strong M’sia-China ties

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is benefiting much from the strong bilateral ties between China and Malaysia, said newly assigned Chinese consul-general to Sabah, Liang Caide. He said the relationship of the two countries have opened many opportunities with Sabah seeing a surge in Chinese tourist arrivals. “Our relationship is growing at a rapid pace with exchanges in culture and education aspects being carried out extensively. “The tourism sector is also moving fast with Chinese visitors coming to Malaysia including Sabah,” Liang said after paying a courtesy visit on Head of State Tun Dr Haji Juhar Datuk Mahiruddin at the Istana here yesterday. According to Liang, Malaysia received 2.2 million Chinese travelers last year, and the number is expected to increase to three million this year. “For Sabah, the State had played host to 318,000 Chinese tourists last year and we are expecting the number of tourist arrivals from China to touch 415,000 this year,” he said. Liang who arrived in the state capital on Sept 13, said that the success was made possible due to the good and strong ties between both nations. He also disclosed that Sabah and Zhejiang Province will sign a memorandum of understanding to seal the sister city ties between Kota Kinabalu y and Hangzou in November. The understanding was reached in July. “The sister city tie will again create a new step forward between Malaysia and China as another platform for us to bring our relations to another level of friendship,” he said. The sister city tie-up will also give opportunity to investors to come to Sabah. It has been reported that Malaysia and China can achieve their goal of US$160bil (RM694bil) in bilateral trade in the next two years According to China’s data, bilateral trade between the two countries totalled about US$100bil (RM433bil) last year. Liang is the second Chinese consul general after Chen Peijie who served from Jan 30, 2015 until July 9 this year. Source : New Sabah Times
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25Sep

Around 1,000 people join in awareness race

KOTA KINABALU: Around 1,000 people participated in the 2017 Shark Runner organised by Junior Chamber International (JCI) to raise awareness on the negative impact of hunting for shark fins. JCI President, Lenny Yap said that the run is part of their campaign to stop cruelty towards sharks. It was the first run of its kind in Malaysia where were participants dressed with “shark fins” and being hunted along the route. “For the first time participants will able to experience the dreadful feeling of sharks being hunted by fisherman, and at the same time, to instill awareness to protect the shark population,” she said. “Sharks play a crucial role in maintaining the marine food chain and prey population and without them, the existing marine ecosystem will be unbalanced.” A number of activities have been implemented by JCI to spread and instill greater awareness among locals to refrain from consuming shark fin soup and stop shark hunting. Among them was “Say No to Shark Fin Soup” (SNTSFS) Drawing and Coloring Contest. The run was officiated by Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) City Environmental Health Department director Robert Lipon who represented Mayor, Datuk Yeo Boon Hai. The awareness run was organized by JCI Tanjung Aru with the collaboration of Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI), Grab Car and Sabah Amateur Radio Society (SARS). The 5.3km run was held at Tanjung Lipat, here. The event also saw various activities such as lucky draw, shark walk and Judging of Best Costume, Zumba session, and a magic show. Source : New Sabah Times
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25Sep

Sabah annual art exhibition set to inspire, gets 614 entries

KOTA KINABALU: The 32nd Sabah Annual Art Exhibition this year received 614 entries, the most participation since its inception in 1985. A major annual art exhibition starting next month until January next year, the event will showcase 90 selected pieces by secondary school students and professional artists. Organiser Sabah Art Gallery (SAG) said the winners will be announced during the presentation ceremony on Oct 20, which will be officiated by Yang Di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin. “As usual, we have two school categories (lower and upper secondary) and and open category for artists. “But what is interesting this year is we got 614 entries, the highest in 32 years because on average we have received 350 entries; so this year it nearly doubles. “The reason was due to participation from the six zones (for schools in Sabah) which have increased drastically. “Sandakan for example sent in 164 entries compared to the usual below 20 entries. This was achieved due to collaboration with the Education Department,” said SAG curator Jennifer Linggi when contacted. She added that while the theme remained the same which is ‘Sabah in My Point of View’ where pieces involved any subjects or topics related to the State, it was evident that the standard of artworks have improved. “There were improvement in terms of of techniques as well as signs of deeper understanding and interpretation of current situation and social matters. “For example, a rhinoceros-related piece using doodle technique following the death of Puntung in the middle of this year, showed environmental awareness and at the same time utilises current contemporary style (of art). “We also received a lot more Khat calligraphy entries this year.” she added. Source : New Straits Times
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25Sep

RM20,000 for every district organising Kalimaran Festival

KENINGAU: The Sabah Murut Association (PMS) will channel an allocation of RM20,000 each to districts that organize the Kalimaran Festival this year. PMS president Datuk Rubin Balang said the allocation was obtained from Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mohd  Najib Tun Razak. “The allocation was channelled to PMS and distributed to the Kalimaran Festival committees in  districts organizing the festival,” he said when officiating at the festival for Sook here on Saturday. Rubin, who is also Kemabong assemblyman, said districts intending to organize the festival were welcome and PMS would channel the allocation to fund the implementation of the celebration. “For the state-level Kalimaran Festival, Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Haji Aman has approved an allocation of RM200,000 through the Sabah Cultural Board. “The organization of the festival  in every district gives the people the opportunity, especially the Murut tribe to highlight their culture and traditions as well as to promote local products,” he said. Rubin said the festival was a continuation of tradition inherited from ancestors. He said defending the culture and rights inherited from ancestors would not be wrong if it was not in conflict with government policies. Meanwhile, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Ellron Alfred Angin, thanked to the Murut community and the people in the area  for supporting  the festival in Sook. He said the festival could strengthen relationships among the Murut and other communities despite their different political affiliations. At the same time Ellron, who is also the organizing chairman, invited the Murut community to continue to support government policies, including the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. The Sook assemblyman also called on the Murut tribe to defend the culture inherited from their ancestors, which is the identity of the race. The festival showcased cultural performances, local artist performances and local handicraft and antique exhibitions. Also present were Assistant Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Haji Sairin Karno, Pensiangan Umno Division chief Datuk Abdul Ghani Datuk Yassin, PMS deputy president Datuk Taimin Lumaing and Sabah Mamagun president Rudy Mairi Sulaiman. Source : Borneo Post
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20Sep

Plenty on offer at Borneo Eco Film Fest

Kota Kinabalu: Visitors will be able to enjoy a three-day festival featuring art, exhibitions, workshops and free talks at the 2017 Borneo Eco Film Festival (BEFF). The film festival promises a fun, informative and interactive weekend for all at Suria Sabah's fifth and sixth floor from Sept 22-24. Programme Director Melissa Leong said this year's programme includes the first ever BEFF Eco Art Carnival, wax-straw making workshop, green storytelling for children and panel sessions. "The Eco Art Carnival features the collaborative work of artists who will be showcasing eco-themed art installations which is a great opportunity to check out and purchase the art and craftwork of local craftmakers and artisans," she said. Three main art groups will be participating, namely Persatuan Seni Visual Sabah (PSVS), Decorative Art and Craft Club and the collective from University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF). One of the artistic highlights in BEFF this year is an Orang Utan Art Installation, called "Love Me, Love My Home" featuring painted portraits of Sabah's iconic primate. These portraits, which are also for sale will be hung on tree branches along the corridor leading to the venue, symbolically replicating the degraded habitat of the Orang Utan and visitors are invited to write and hang their eco-friendly pledge on these branches. PSVS spokesperson and local artist Christianne Goonting, explained that this installation will serve as a reminder that humans must learn to sustainably co-exist with our natural surroundings. "We must acknowledge the fact that our world supports a huge variety of life and we need to respect this. We need to share and live together and not rob the animal kingdom of their natural habitat," she said. Meanwhile, children aged seven and above are invited to join a free wax straw-making workshop on Sunday, Sept 24. Conducted by Carolyn Lau, founder of the citizen-led initiative 'Tak Nak Straw!' the workshop aims to encourage people to explore alternatives to plastic straws. "It seems like such a small thing but single-use plastic straws are really bad for the environment. It takes hundreds of years to break down. They fill up landfills and end up in waterways and the ocean, which then endangers our marine life," explained Melissa. "This year, we are screening a film called 'Straws' which shows why we need to rethink the habit of using plastic straws. 'Straws' will be screened followed by the wax straw-making workshop on Sunday, 12.30pm, Sept 24. Additionally, there will be free talks and panel sessions where members of the public can interact with experts and engage in discussion on the various environmental and social issues featured in this year's film line-up. This year, there will be a special talk on Mount Kinabalu by The Sabah Society, a panel on access to education for underprivileged children and a light-hearted session on the pursuit of happiness and living a positive life by Dr. Sivakumar Kumaresan. The three-day festival is an annual non-profit event celebrating Borneo's biocultural diversity through showcasing environmental films and nurturing local community filmmaking. Source: Daily Express
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