07Aug

RM315K public toilet to lead the way in public facilities

KOTA KINABALU: A new public toilet worth RM315,000 was launched today at Tamu Ground in Putatan. Deputy Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government, Datuk Halimah Mohd Sadique said that the toilet was the third public toilet developed in Sabah. The toilet was designed to be comfortable and includes a room for people with disabilities and a diaper changing room. Halimah said that the government effort to produce the newly designed public toilet was to provide the people with better public facilities in a comfortable environment. She also said that with this new concept, the people would feel responsible and reluctant to do unpleasant things towards it. “So, whenever we speak of toilets, it does not mean that it is a place to answer nature’s call and has to be in a dirty state. “But don’t think that you could do as you like in a public toilet. After you are done answering nature’s call, you have to be responsible. Just because there is a cleaner, it does not mean that you can pass the responsibility to the cleaner. We need to be a responsible user of the public toilet. It is self discipline.” “If the we able to discipline ourselves in using any of the public facilities developed by the government, we can educate our children at home to be responsible citizens in the future. Without responsibilities there is no use of having everything (public facilities). So we have to educate the people and create awareness,” she added. Other than that, she also mentioned that future improvements will be made on the new Putatan public toilets, such as making it more child friendly and adding grab bars for the disabled. She added that she would keep monitoring the usage of the newly developed public toilet and would make consultation on the placement of more such public toilets to be built in Putatan as requested by Putatan District Officer Awang Abdul Ghani Pg Yusof and Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin. Source: The Borneo Post
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04Aug

20 locations identified for Visit K’gau Year 2018

Keningau: A total of 20 interesting locations in the Keningau district have been identified to be promoted among domestic and foreign tourists in conjunction with Visit Keningau Year 2018. Keningau District Officer Yusop Osman said the tourist destinations would not disappoint the travellers. "We assure everyone that these locations will not disappoint and will suit the tastes and preferences of domestic and foreign tourists alike," he said after chairing the Keningau Visit Year 2018 committee meeting, here, Thursday. Visit Keningau Year 2018 was proposed by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister and Keningau Member of Parliament Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan. Yusop said various programmes would be held every month throughout the year, including hiking to Bukit Trig, Bukit Kikiran and Bukit Lugas and other recreational activities at the waterfalls. He said Visit Keningau Year 2018 was created to promote interesting tourist locations in the district, apart from improving the socio-economic standard of the local population through art, agricultural products and culture. Yusop added that courses for operators of homestay facilities, hotels, taxi services and restaurants would also be conducted as part of the preparations for Visit Keningau Year 2018. Source: Daily Express
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04Aug

Kadamaian, Kiulu, Ranau and Tambunan set to be Sabah’s tourism hotspots

KOTA KINABALU: Four rural areas - Kadamaian (Kota Belud), Kiulu, Ranau and Tambunan - are being touted as Sabah's next big tourism spots. The four are the stars of the Sabah Rural Tourism Roadshow, happening today until Sunday at the Imago mall here. Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, at the launch of the roadshow today, said the areas, which promise fresh air and green surroundings, are just over an hour's drive away from the Kota Kinabalu city centre. He also noted that despite their close proximity, the districts remain largely rural. "The four areas became our initial focus as they have potential to attract local and foreign tourists," he said. He said the state government acknowledges that this initiative is a means to increase the livelihood of rural communities and provide an alternative income, but does not mean that the locals are giving up their traditional ways of life like farming. State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said 50 new tourism products such as camp sites, whitewater rafting and trekking areas are being showcased during the event. He commended the Kadamaian community for their high enthusiasm in developing their products, with about 40,000 people having visited the district in the first six months of this year. "Meanwhile, this is also Visit Tambunan Year, so the district received about 49,000 visitors in the same period. "If one tourist spends RM50 in Tambunan, we reckoned that nearly RM2.5 million ringgit in tourism receipts are generated there. "I hope other districts can emulate this," added Masidi. Source: New Straits Times
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03Aug

Rural Folks More Aware of Tourism Initiatives

Kota Kinabalu: There is stronger belief among rural folks that community-driven tourism initiatives can uplift their livelihood, create economic and job opportunities, particularly for their youths. One of the success stories comes from Kadamaian where communities have generated a total earning of RM300,000 in the first six months this year from various tourism products and services offered to domestic and foreign visitors. Their success is a huge statement of the State Government's efforts in promoting rural tourism in Sabah more aggressively since four years ago. "Since Datuk Seri Musa Aman became Chief Minister, tourism has been one of the State's core developments. "We have always been promoting rural tourism but not as aggressively as in the last four years. We in STB (Sabah Tourism Board) set up a rural tourism unit and one of our outcomes is seeing greater awareness among rural communities that tourism can be a source of revenue for them," said board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai when announcing the State's first Rural Tourism Roadshow during a press conference, Tuesday. To be held at Imago Shopping Mall from Aug 5-6, the event he said will unveil to the public what rural tourism in Sabah has to offer particularly Tambunan, Ranau, Kiulu and Kadamaian. "As awareness is growing, more villages and individuals ventured into tourism. Now after four years, it's time for them to show their products and services to the general public," he said. Kadamaian will woo visitors with products such as adventure-filled river activities, hiking trails, caves and waterfalls to name a few. According to Kadamaian Tourism Association (KATA) chairman Walter Duis Kandayon, visitors have a choice of at least 30 villages to explore and experience, each one with their own tourism products and services. He said although their initiatives started two years ago, they generated the six-figure revenue in the first six-month this year, a success the community never expected. "Having seen the results, now everyone's excited about tourism," he said. The profit has enabled the association to develop new tourism products and create economic and employment opportunity for some of their youths. "Ever since tourists have come to our villages, we've seen a growing number of stalls by the roadside. And some of our youths have been earning extra income as guides, life guards and office staff," said Walter. He hoped the upcoming event will get more people to know about rural tourism products in Kadamaian. So far their only means of promotion is through the social media. He also hoped to see more impact from tourism revenue to the livelihood of the community comprising mostly subsistence farmers in five years' time. Apart from Kadamaian, Kiulu is also looking forward to having bigger arrival of visitors to experience the many natural attractions available in the district. Kiulu Tourism Association Lasmin Lopog said the area is already well known for its water rafting activity in the Kiulu River, picnic spots, homestays and the latest activity, the Kiulu Riverside Tracking. Tourists he said will also be able to experience the natural environment and live in farm stays and rough terrains on quad bikes provided. He estimated that there has been an increase of visitors coming to explore tourism products in Kiulu including foreigners from 3,000 in 2016 to 5,000 this year. "The revenue generated from this will certainly benefit the community," he said. The Chief Minister had recently said it was timely that the world knows what the rural areas of Sabah can offer to visitors in terms of tourism products. "It is indeed very important to tell Sabah's rural story to the world including its natural attractions, rich cultural heritage and an array of tourism products. Developing rural tourism will also assist our rural folks in uplifting their livelihood," he had said. During the event there will be quizzes and games such as "butod" (sago worm) eating challenge, treasure hunt, traditional performances and children's activities. - Leonard Alaza and Jeremy Zabala Source: Daily Express
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03Aug

Sabah Offers Fresh Air for Tourists Escaping Pollution

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is offering itself as a “lung cleansing” destination for tourists needing a breather from pollution in their home countries. Tapping the growing Chinese, Japanese and South Korean markets, Sabah Tourism Board is offering tourists fresh mountain and river air in village settings along the Crocker Range. “We are working with the local communities to host tourists in a wide range of nature activities – from camping by the river to trekking hills,” board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said of plans for the Rural Tourism Road Show from Aug 4 to 6. Bangkuai said the key focus for the back-to-nature product was in Kadamaian, Kiulu, Ranau and Tambunan at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, along the range that stretches from north to south of Sabah. He said community-based organisations in these areas were offering a variety of products from whitewater rafting, camping, trekking, fishing, besides a chance to experience local cultures, food and outdoor living to visitors. “The focus is for villagers to earn more while also ensuring that the tourists stay longer in the rural areas,” Bangkuai said, adding that the move would also encourage local villagers to appreciate and preserve their natural environment. Bangkuai said the board was working with district office tourism committees to identify more areas for this plan. He said there was a market for such tourism products as in the case of the Kampung Talungan community in Kota Belud that earned some RM100,000 from 30,000 visitors camping by the Kadamaian river and other outdoor activities. Source: The Star
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