02Aug

Dinner in the Sky – Sabah’s Latest Attraction

KOTA KINABALU: Dining a three-course Italian meal while being suspended 50 metres in the sky is the latest attraction introduced here. Locals and tourists can get the bird-eye view experience at Sutera Harbour Resort, where two dinners are served daily this August. State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun who had first hand experience during the launch last night, said both locals and tourists alike are expected to be drawn to this new tourism experience. "I took the first 'flight' and what better way to experience our beautiful sunset. "It might not be everyone's cup of tea but then again it is something unique and eventhough Sabah is known for its nature as our niche, I always encourage new products here to keep visitors engaged. "Those with a fear of heights, I suggest them to try as you are safe. With the music playing and the chef and waiter talking to you, you would be so busy, what with eating and taking photos that you wouldn't realise it (being high off the ground)," he said after his dinner. 'Dinner in the Sky' has history which began in Belgium and over 5,000 dinners were hosted over 45 cities including Kuala Lumpur to date. Organiser TwoSpicy Entertainment who brought the experience to Sabah said up to 30 percent reservations were made after just three days of opening the tickets for purchase. "This is impressive as we didn't expect this kind of response in Sabah," said chief executive officer Arvin Randahwa. He assured the standard safety measures of seated guests wearing safety belts while standing presenter and crew are secured by safety harnesses at all time during the dinner. The dining experience is endorsed by Sabah Tourism Board and co-sponsored by Sutera Harbour. Source: New Strait Times
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02Aug

Sabah launches Merdeka Day Campaign

KOTA KINABALU: More than 100 students from Sekolah Kebangsaan Stella Maris and colleges in Sabah took part in the launch of the state-level National Day campaign here today. "I am proud that we got to be on stage and it has been fun for me," said Jude, a Primary Six pupil. She was among 20 students from both schools chosen to be part of the event's launch gimmick. The school students arranged several cubes to form the Malaysian flag at the City Hall building here. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman took part in the gimmick by placing the last cube to complete the flag. Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, in his speech earlier, said the country encouraging every generation to be part of the National Day celebrations. SK Stella Maris teacher Noor Suriyati, 53, said that she felt touched that her school was selected to take part in the launch. For her, it was a matter of pride as a citizen. "I was born here, and this is my country. I am Malaysian, and I am proud to be one."
Source: New Strait Times
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02Aug

House of British Artist in Sabah To Be Turned Into Gallery

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is honouring British teacher and artist Tina Rimmer by converting her Likas home into an art gallery. Sabah Art Gallery curator Jennifer Linggi said this was to enable the public to have glimpse into Rimmer's life “The house will serve as a showcase of the simple life Tina lived,” she said after the launching of a three-month exhibition of Tina’s works at the Sabah Art Gallery here on Tuesday. The exhibition will run until Dec 1. Linggi said Tina had moved into the house in 1996 and the house has remained empty since her May 5 death, just three months short of her 100th birthday on Aug 1. Rimmer, who made Sabah her home in 1949 is best known for her portraits of ordinary folk and her paintings of tamu or traditional farmers’ markets. She produced more than 1,000 artworks since she started painting and sketching everyday scenes around Sabah. Tina, originally from Devon, came to then-North Borneo then in 1949 as an Education Officer. She was one of the original lecturers at Kent Teacher's Training College in Tuaran in 1951 and later taught at Siew Ching Chinese School and Saint Dominic's Secondary School in Lahad Datu. Tina married Bert Rimmer, a planter in Lahad Datu in 1959 and they settled in a farm where she learned to rear cattle and to plant fruits before moving to Tamparuli in 1974 Meanwhile, in his speech at the opening of the exhibition, state Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said Rimmer had contributed the state by capturing scenes of life in Sabah. He added that Rimmer had also brought comfort to families of terminally ill patients with her portraits of those in palliative care. “There was no doubt of Tina’s love for Sabah and the people here,” Masidi said.
Source: The Star
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01Aug

Live sharks to be the stars at Manukan Aquarium Centre

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Parks have taken the initiative to upgrade a building at Pulau Manukan here into an aquarium centre to educate the public about marine biodiversity. Its director, Dr Jamili Nais, said the centre was part of the government’s efforts in shark conservation. “The main attraction at the aquarium will be live sharks, including blacktip reef sharks. “This is in line with the government’s recent announcement that marine parks will serve as shark sanctuaries,” he said during the soft launch of the new attraction in Pulau Manukan here recently. These sanctuaries will be set up at more than two million hectares in marine parks, including Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park here, Tun Mustapha Marine Park in Kudat, and Tun Sakaran Marine Park in Semporna. The state government is in favour of a ban on shark finning as the species contributed significantly to the tourism industry. On average, 55,000 divers come to Sabah yearly and 80 per cent of them came to see live sharks in the sea. The year-long activity contributed more than RM300 million in tourism receipts. Jamili said the centre would be opened to the public in September, adding that the entrance fee would be waived for a year. The 0.01ha centre, which costs RM100,000, was mostly built by the staff of Sabah Parks. Source: The New Strait Times
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01Aug

Eyes of the World on Sun Bears’ Hero

KOTA KINABALU: A wildlife researcher’s tireless efforts to ensure the survival of the sun bear – the smallest bear species in the world – is getting international attention. For nearly a decade, Dr Wong Siew Te quietly cared for sun bears that were orphaned by poachers or seized from those keeping them illegally as pets. His efforts are now in the spotlight after Dr Wong was named a CNN Hero. CNN describes its heroes as everyday people doing extraordinary things to change the world.
The 48-year-old wildlife biologist founded the Sun Bear conservation centre in Sepilok on the east coast of Sandakan in 2008. Since then, the centre has cared for 55 bears. Among those, two have been put back into the wild while 10 died due to various causes. Dr Wong said the centre intends to release four more bears this year. The majority of the bears there are not likely to readapt to their natural environment because they have become domesticated, he said. For example, some of these bears have lost their ability to forage for food and others cannot even climb trees anymore. The Penang-born researcher came to Sabah about 30 years ago as a University of Montana student tasked with studying what was then the little-known sun bear. Over that period, he noticed that the population was declining by as much as 30% and this spurred him to set up the rehabilitation centre. Wong told CNN: “Sun bears became part of my family. When they’re endangered, I care for them. When they are in trouble, I speak for them. “I want to be the voice of the sun bear, to fight for the sun bear, to ensure the survival of the sun bear. But my ultimate goal is to save the entire forest ecosystem ... that is so important to the survival of mankind.” The CNN feature on Wong and his work can be viewed at goo.gl/gsrVHK Details on the rehabilitation centre are available at www.bsbcc.org.my
Source: The Star
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