05Sep

Colour and culture on display at Sabah’s National Day parade

KOTA KINABALU: Energetic, patriotic, beautiful – these words would immediately come to mind upon witnessing the state-level National Day celebrations here Thursday. Thousands of patriotic citizens at the event sang the national and state anthems with passion after the Sabah Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin arrived with his wife, Toh Puan Norlidah R.M Jasni and other dignitaries, including Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman. The celebration, which was held simultaneously nationwide, saw parades of the Jalur Gemilang, Sabah flag, all Malaysian state flags, a march-past of uniformed bodies and a convoy of vehicles. Guests and visitors were also entertained with performances by the armed forces, patriotic poetry declamation, choirs focused on national- and unity-themed songs and many other colourful showcase.
The guests' enthusiasm remained high during the performances with loud cheers heard throughout the event. The weather may have been scorching hot, but this did not stop the people from coming out in droves to witness the once-a-year National Day event that started at 8am. There was also a marching competition which saw the participation of various private and governmental agencies and departments. Towards the end of the programme, SK Seri Gaya, SMK Putatan Form 6 centre, Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic military reserve force of the Malaysian Army, Sabah Parks, Sabah Girl Scouts, Sabah Bajau Samah Association, Public Works Department and the City Hall Enforcement unit were announced winners of the marching competition in their respective categories. A member of the Sabah Bajau Samah Association, Ag Amirul Ag Bungsu, 21, said they were proud to be crowned winners in the ethnic category. "Although this is just a march, we are able to show the nation – and hopefully the world – who the Bajau Samah people are," he said. He said they want others to know that although they may be small in number, they are a strong community that lives harmoniously with all other races and religions in the country. "It is unique cultures such as ours that make Sabah – and Malaysia – known to the world," he added. Donned in their traditional costumes, association members also became instant stars, with visitors asking for selfies and group photos with them during the event. Another participant, Peter Lintar, 44, who is of Lotud Tuaran descent, said he wished for continued peace and harmony for the country. "We must teach our children about unity so that they too can continue living together as one in this country," he said. Source: The Star
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30Aug

Sabah looking at making pangolins a completely protected species

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Wildlife Department is looking at upgrading the status of Pangolin to a completely protected species. The department is in the midst of preparing a paper on the matter to upgrade the status of the mammalian from Schedule 2 to Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997. State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said he had ordered the department which falls under his ministry, to undertake the matter as soon as possible. “They have always been planning to do this but now enough is enough. While it is impossible for a complete stop of pangolin or wildlife trade, but what is important is that we sends a strong message to all citizens on the need for all of us to work together in protecting them,” he said. Masidi said this when asked about the recent case of an attempt to smuggle in RM103 million worth of pangolin scales weighing 8,000 kilogrammes via Sepanggar Port here. In Sabah, Schedule 2 of the Enactment permits the hunting of the listed animals with a permit. Masidi hoped that the stronger legislation via the status upgrading will help cut off illegal wildlife trade. On the scales confiscated on July 29, Sabah Customs Department believes the scales were sourced from some 16,000 pangolins. Asked whether the state government is pursuing to verify where they came from, Masidi said it is up to the Wildlife Department but there is obviously ‘a need to do so’. State Tourism, Culture and Environment deputy minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming had previously stated that Sabah was likely to be a transshipment point in this case, as there was ‘no way a pangolin population of that size can come from Sabah’. Customs director-general Datuk T. Subromaniam at a function here yesterday, said investigations involving the 43-year-old suspect in the pangolin scales case are almost complete and he is expected to be charged in court soon. Source: New Straits Times
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29Aug

Imbak Canyon Study Centre boost for research, tourism

WHILE the Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA) and the Danum Valley Conservation Area (DVCA) remain as Borneo’s more prominent and celebrated forests, it would be an oversight to exclude the equally majestic Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA) of Tongod from the list. Situated north of MBCA and the west of DVCA, the Imbak Canyon is located some 300 kilometres away from Kota Kinabalu, a road journey that will take approximately seven to eight hours, subject to good road conditions. Since being gazetted as a Class 1 (Protection) Forest Reserve by the State Government back in 2009, the ICCA has come a long way, and has reinvented itself as one of Sabah’s most promising tourism products. The growth of the ICCA can be attributed to the partnership between Yayasan Sabah and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) that was initiated back in 2010. Since then, the two bodies have taken numerous initiatives to ensure the preservation of the forests, most recently being the establishment of the highly awaited Imbak Canyon Studies Centre (ICSC). In 2013, Petronas approved a RM77 million fund under Phase 2 of the Yayasan Sabah and Petronas partnership to build the ICSC, in line with its intent to solidify the ICCA as a centre of learning for indigenous community in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Construction commenced in 2014 and was completed in November 2016, when the facility was subsequently handed over to Yayasan Sabah. Among others, the ICSC will serve as a platform for gene bank conservation and the exploration of pharmaceutical and biotechnological potentials. Last Monday, a group of journalists were invited for a first ever media visit to ICSC, where they had to stay on location for four days under a programme spearheaded by Petronas and Yayasan Sabah. To learn more about the facilities provided by the ICSC, the manager of ICCA, Dr. Hamzah Tangki, took members of the media for a tour around the newly-built compound. It is understood that the buildings at the ICSC were designed taking into consideration green elements to ensure minimal carbon footprint. The establishment of the ICSC will coincidentally elevate Tongod as one of the crucial districts of the State with the ICSC serving as a major infrastructural development. In line with this, the ICSC will also turn Tongod into a tourist attraction, which will consequently create more employment opportunities, especially in hospitality, tourism, research, etc. In a nutshell, among the facilities that are available at the ICSC are a laboratory and a library, top class accommodation, a spacious conference room, an EE complex, a cafe, a gallery, a sports complex, surau, a pavilion and forest parks (which features suspension bridges, a herbs garden, nature trails etc.). Visitors and researchers, who wish to stay at the ICSC, will be surprised to find that that the ICSC has a wide array of accommodation options, from the conventional rest houses and hostels to the luxurious semi-detached houses, studios and even VIP houses. Thus, it is apparent that the establishment of the ICSC will more than encourage scientists and researchers to work in an environment that is somewhat isolated, considering the fact that the ICCA now has proper accommodations that will provide home comforts to the scientists. Currently, the electricity supply in the ICSC is sourced from generator sets (or diesel generators), which will run daily, up till 10 pm. The ICSC, however, is currently working on setting up another alternative energy source, in the form of solar power, which is expected to be completed in October 2017. Furthermore, adrenaline boosting junkies would be happy to discover that the Kangkawat suspension bridge, the Big Belian Camp and the Big Belian Trail are just around the corner from the ICSC. If you are in it for the breathtaking views, a visit to the magnificent Imbak Falls is a must, which is another site that is also relatively close to the ICSC. It is probably not too far-fetched to say that the Imbak Falls is one of the most outstanding waterfalls formation in the whole of Malaysia, located right at the entrance of Imbak Canyon and is about 30 metres wide. Another intriguing natural wonder that sits just nearby to the ICSC is the Big Belian tree (Pokok Belian Gergasi), a 1,000-year-old tree that stands tall at more than 250 feet. In its bid to control the number of incoming groups, the ICSC has come up with a policy, whereby any group of scientists, students and researchers who wish to come to the ICSC, must submit their respective proposal and paperwork to the Management Committee (comprising of government bodies and NGOs). Hamzah, in his welcoming brief, disclosed that a majority of the visitors to the ICSC this year were students. He further explained that the ICSC facility is more or less same as the one provided in the MBCA and that the only difference between the two would probably be its respective habitats. He also reiterated on the importance of having a zoning system in the ICSC, whereby visitors will be prohibited from going to certain parts of the ICSC, for safety reasons. He said the rules at the ICSC are very strict and that one cannot simply roam around prohibited places as they please. Proper consideration and permission must be given before they can do so. On a separate note, it is probably safe to say that the gravel road leading up to the ICSC can still be improved further, as adverse weather conditions (i.e. heavy rain) will further affect the road condition. In line with this, Hamzah revealed that, in the future, there might even be a proper and well-maintained highway that will lead up to the ICSC, something that will be vital to the future generation. To ensure that the ICSC and the ICCA are properly governed, the Imbak Canyon Steering Committee was set up in 2010 to oversee the activities of the ICSC, planned under Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Public Awareness and Research. In addition, Yayasan Sabah will be providing yearly budget to fund the ICSC activities, OPEX (operating expenditures) and maintenance cost of the ICSC and its related facilities. Source: The Borneo Post
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28Aug

Black Box KK – Sabah’s first community theatre

KOTA KINABALU: Black box theatres became popular and widespread particularly in the 1960s and 1970s, during which low-cost experimental theatre was actively practiced as never before. Almost any open space in any building can be transformed into a black box, including abandoned cafes and stores, the appeal for non-profit and low-income artists is high. The black box is also considered by many to be a place where more ‘pure’ theatre can be explored, with the most human and least technical elements being in focus. Inspired by this idea, The International Institute of Human Capital and Entrepreneur Sabah (IINSCAPE) has set up Sabah’s first community theatre for performing arts. The theatre or aptly named Black Box KK is a 400-seat state-of-the-art, flexible artistic theatre located on the 8th floor of Suria Sabah Shopping Mall here – a flexible and multi-functional performing arts space. Why is it called the ‘Black Box’? Because it is black. Black is the absence of colour and black is the absorption of all colours and this space will see the absorption of all the creative and performing arts. At the same time, the black box is a fullness – it has everything inside it – everything that is waiting to happen. A few reasons why Sabah needs Black Box? First, there is no other space in Kota Kinabalu of this size and with this kind of flexibility. Second, this theatre is affordable and manageable for artists, thus contributing to the professional development of young Sabahan artists, performers, groups and companies. Third, the size helps develop a high public standard of performance by making it possible to have multiple performances by one artist or group. Fourth, it provides a fully-equipped experimental workshop area for the development of creativity and talent among Sabahans. Fifth, the Black Box will help develop a theatre-going public in Kota Kinabalu who will appreciate and support the performing arts on a regular basis. Sixth, Kota Kinabalu as a city needs a theatre like this to contribute to the development of its image as a vibrant city in South East Asia. And lastly, the variety of events at the Black Box will contribute richly to what Kota Kinabalu can offer as an emerging, dynamic, liveable, leading city in Malaysia and in the region. Who will perform at the black box? Young local performers, group and companies will be able to afford to use this space for their shows – bringing in around 400 people for each performance. This means they will be able to put on more than one show, developing a high public standard of performance – an important aspect of professional theatre. Drama, music, dance, story-telling, stand-up comedy, fashion shows – all of these will be presented here at the Black Box. Artists, photographers, filmmakers – the Black Box is also open to them as we will be offering on-going exhibitions and screenings. Children are an important focus for the Black Box – here is the audience of tomorrow, so let’s develop their appreciation of the performing arts today. Let’s also develop their potential talent through workshops and other events. The Black Box will represent Sabah to the rest of the world by offering special shows geared towards tourists and visitors. Their experience of Kota Kinabalu will be enriched by the unique opportunity they have at the Black Box to experience the talent of the locals. With enthusiastic support, the Black Box will flourish and succeed.
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28Aug

Many Chinese tourists prefer to visit Sabah now – Consul General

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has become a popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region, said the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu, Zhang He. “Instead of going to Japan and Korea, many Chinese tourists are coming to Sabah,” he said. As such, he hoped that the relevant parties would look into enhancing tourism facilities in the State, given the insufficient number of hotel rooms now. Zhang said the local media has a role to play in promoting exchanges between Malaysia and China. He said the Chinese consulate has maintained a good working relationship with the local media since its inception in Kota Kinabalu, adding that the reports by local journalists on their trip to China organized by the consulate recently had also achieved the desired effect. Zhang made the remarks during a courtesy call by Kota Kinabalu Journalists Association (KKJA) committee led by chairman Yong Ted Phen here yesterday to invite Zhang to KKJA’s 25th Anniversary Celebration cum Press Night at Hakka Hall on August 31. Yong said the consulate has graciously offered its sponsorship for the event, whereby part of the funds will be used for lucky draw prizes and the balance for study awards to KKJA members’ children next year. Yong also took the opportunity to brief Zhang on the history and functions of KKJA during the courtesy call and thanked the consulate for its support and sponsorship to the association. Also present were organizing chairman, Jimmy Goh, vice chairman Leopold Santos, secretary Chuah Kim Huat, treasurer Tang Pok Ngai and welfare officer James Tseu. During other courtesy calls made by the committee, KKJA legal advisor, Datuk Dr. Yee Moh Chai, who is also the chairman of Sustainable Energy Development Authority Malaysia (SEDA), and honorary advisor, Li Su Fook, have also offered to sponsor the event. Source: The Borneo Post
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