21Jul

Magahau Festival Well Received In West Malaysia

KOTA KINABALU: The Peninsular Malaysia zone Rungus festival – Magahau – was well received when it was held at the Malaysia Tourism Centre in Kuala Lumpur recently. The event, organized by the Momogun Rungus Sabah (Samora) succeeded in gathering a substantial number of Sabahans of Rungus origin. Chairman of the organizing committee Encik Jumatri Kolong said the participants had come from states in Peninsular Malaysia where they had settled. “We are pleased to have attracted so many Rungus people, and we welcome the many tourists who were present,” he said. The event was declared open by Claryssa Ogodong who is the Ambassadress of Momogun Rungus. In a traditional beauty contest called Mitarab Gimpuhut Momogun, Irene Montilit representing Kuala Lumpur was adjudged the winner. She received a cash prize of RM1,000, a sash and a trophy. Runner up was Sherrina Singkong (Johor) and second runner-up was won by Stella Ann Fredey (Johor). They respectively won RM700 and RM500. The three damsels will represent Peninsular Malaysia in the state-level contest in Sabah on July 31. Source: New Sabah Times
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21Jul

25 High Value Geo-Tourism Spots in Sabah – Expert

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has many geo-tourism spots that have remained relatively unexplored for promotion as a tourism product. Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) geologist Professor Dr Felix Tongkul  said there are over 25 high value geo-tourism spots in Sabah, some of which are located at non-protected areas, and which may soon be gone as no efforts are being undertaken to protect them. The others, however, are located at protected areas such as within the Mount Kinabalu Park and Maliau Basin as well as at Simpang Mengayau, otherwise known as the Tip of Borneo. Dr Felix said most people go to Mount Kinabalu merely to conquer the mountain. “But if you deal with these geo-tourism spots as a tourism product, you could look at the diverse rock trail,” he said. Geotourists visiting the Maliau Basin, on the other hand, will look at the unique shape of the basin and its numerous waterfalls, while those going to Simpang Mengayau would look at the rock formations and other interesting geo-products. Even Pulau Tiga has its own geo-story to tell. Did you know that Pulau Tiga was actually formed by three mud volcanoes? “All this information will give a more meaningful experience,” said Dr Felix. And there’s more. Sipadan Island is actually a volcanic island. “These are geo-tourism spots that you can promote as a tourism product,” he reckoned. Surprisingly though, Sabah has yet to have a single geo-park, while nationwide, only Langkawi Island has one, although efforts to promote it has dimmed over the years, said Dr Felix. He added that geo-tourism had been included as a subject in his faculty at UMS, which is the Science and Natural Resources Faculty. He said this was to allow geologist students at the university to have a wider range of career prospects open to them. “One cannot expect all of them to become geologists,” he remarked. He added that geo-tourism requires guides who can explain about the earth formation, and who are more knowledgeable in that area if not those who have studied geology. Unfortunately, most geology students want to work in the oil and gas sector and would even work in banks rather than venture as geo-tourism tour guides, he lamented. “But I am seeing a huge potential for geology students to go into this,” said Dr Felix when met at the sideline of the BIMP-EAGA Education Summit yesterday.   Source: TheBorneoPost
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20Jul

Sabah to Protect Another Four Shark and Two Ray Species

KOTA KINABALU: Four shark and two ray species are to be protected as endangered under federal fisheries regulations. The state government, through its Fisheries Department, has proposed that the great hammerhead shark, smooth hammerhead shark, winghead shark, oceanic whitetip shark, oceanic manta ray and reef manta ray be covered. According to the Sabah Shark Protection Association (SSPA) advocacy group, the move to include the six species under the Fisheries (Control of Endangered Species of Fish) Regulations 1999 was a major step forward in the conservation of marine life. SSPA president Aderick Chong said it was important to protect the species, which were being fished in large numbers. The current list of protected marine species includes whale sharks and sawfish, as well as several species of dolphin, whale, dugong and clam. Under the regulations, no person shall fish for, disturb, harass, catch, kill, take, possess, sell, buy, export or transport any of the specified endangered species without written permission from the director-general of fisheries.
Chong said inclusion of the six, listed under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), in Malaysian federal regulations should be finalised quickly. “We are keen to continue our support for federal and state agencies to list these species within this year. “We were present at the multi-stakeholder consultation to draw up this list and view this as a positive step to obtain protection for sharks and rays in Sabah waters,” he said in a statement. The SSPA also hoped the scalloped hammerhead, silky shark, three species of thresher shark and nine species of devil ray – all listed in Appendix II of CITES – will be given similar protection. “These species always feature high on the wishlist of divers, particularly scalloped hammerheads and devil rays. Many divers come to Sabah in the hope of encountering one of these incredible animals,” Chong said. “Sadly, they are being landed on a daily basis so we need the Government to act now before they disappear forever.”
He said SSPA wants to work with the authorities to identify other species that might benefit from such protection, and on the enforcement of laws that regulate activities related to sharks and rays. Based on Fisheries Department data, Sabah waters have 48 out of the 70 shark species in Malaysia and 65 out of 85 ray species. Source: TheStar
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20Jul

KK Jazz Festival Committee Meets Mayor

KOTA KINABALU: The Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival (KKJF) 2017 organising committee led by its organising chairman Rotarian Jack Ong, paid a courtesy call on Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai, recently . Jack briefed Yeo on the programme for the upcoming 11th KK Jazz Festival at the  Sutera Harbour Marina & Country Club Covered Tennis Courts on July 21-22 The two-night concert will feature international and local talents and bands to perform on either the centre or main stage. Malaysian celebrity, personality and TV anchor, Sabahan Daphne Iking, is back by popular demand to emcee again this year. Performers on the first night includes 2017 Bakat Interact winner from SM St Francis Convent; Butod Project (KKJF Talent Search winners);  Gordon Chin with his complex fingerstyle technique; the energetic pop fusion band – Dominant 5th of Borneo (D50B);  Sabahan Jazz piano Alton Wong and jazz ensemble Kangkung Belacan; the infectious rhythm driven sound of Nafas; Sada Borneo’s musical fusion of traditional, modern, ethnic and nature elements; and ending the night with the winner of Tiger Jams 2016 – Rozella. The line-up for the second night begins with sophisticated jazz, dance and Latin music by Borneo Big Band led by Joan Jim; Talent Search finalists – Zuhaili and Culumus; Good Messenger – professional musicians from Taiwan with their mix of jazz, blues, gospel and classical music; the first authentic Spanish Flamenco ensemble to perform in Sabah – Origen; the unique and virtuosic style of Shun Ng & The Shunettes, comprising of Stellar Award nominee Deon Mose, with their special guest – China’s The Voice finalist Melody Tan; a UK chart topper and daughter of the legendary Loganathan of the Alleycats – Dasha Logan; and Asia’s first and only Prince-inspired tribute band – Rainbow Children, to bring the festival into a spectacular ending. The festival opens at 6pm on both nights and ends at about 11 pm each night. There are tables and chairs provided at the venue but availability is on a first come first serve basis. This year  KKJF will have some of the best restaurants in Kota Kinabalu serving their best food and beverages such as The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Outlet, Party Play, Adelphi & Co, Alexys, Borenos, Fruto, Wine Shop, Carlsberg, and many more. F&B coupons of RM20 and RM50 per book are sold at the festival. Tickets will be available at the door on both days but purchase them now via website and at selected outlets in KK at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Party Play, Adelphi & Co, Alexys Cafe and Borenos Fried Chicken. Prices for the tickets are RM100 for a one-day pass (per pax per night) and RM150 for a two-day pass (per pax for two nights). Both tickets are for regular seating on a first come first serve basis. The price for one Premier table is RM1,000 per table per night (maximum of six pax) or RM200 per pax per night (maximum of four pax) for a premier seating on sharing basis where table and seats are specially reserved. F&B is not included but waiters are on standby to assist on getting your food and beverages. To avoid the hassle of parking, the festival will partner with Uber Malaysia this year. Ticket holders can ride with Uber to/from the festival by entering the promo code 11KKJAZZF in the Uber app and enjoy two  free rides worth RM5 each to/from the festival on July 21-22 only. The main sponsor of KKJF is Yayasan Sime Darby. Other sponsors are the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah, Pacificity and  supported by Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) and Carlsberg. KKJF is jointly organised by RCKK and SPArKS, and the festival is an annual fund-raising festival, where money raised from ticket sales is used to fund deserving community projects of RCKK. For more information on KKJF, please log onto www.kkjazzfest.com or check out FB page @KK Jazz Festival. Source: The Borneo Post Online
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19Jul

High Benchmark Set for Film Festival

Kota Kinabalu: The Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival (KKIFF) Buzz10 Filmmakers' Competition has set a high benchmark with its outstanding entries this year. Hassan Muthalib who has been judging the competition since six years ago said he witnessed a progress in the quality of entries for the competition's eighth edition. "When I first started judging the competition, I can see some of the films are good but at the same time, there are quite a few which were not up to the standard. "And now, I saw entries which are very personal... they go very deep into their subjects. "They films are also cinematic… the makers have used the language of film well in their films," he said after the KKIFF 2017 Awards Night at the Black Box, here, on Sunday. He added almost 90 per cent of the entries this year have shown professional work compared to the previous ones. "Usually when we are sitting in the judges' seats, we will be cringing at certain films which should have never entered the competition … but in Buzz10, we only find a minimal number of films which are not really up to the mark." The self-taught artist-animator-film director-writer has been involved in the Malaysian film industry for 52 years. His creative works have won numerous awards and currently he is a film critic and writer where conduct researches and writings on the Malaysian cinema. He had also written two books – Malaysian Cinema in a Bottle in 2013 and From Mousedeer to Mouse: 70 Years of Malaysian Animation (2016). Al Jafree Md Yusop, the other judge for the Buzz10 Filmmakers' Competition said he was surprised by the entries and had a difficult time judging them. "The entries were amazing… the films put hope back in the Malaysian film industry," said Jafree. Hassan said the Sabah Film Academy (SFA) – the mentorship programme under KKIFF had contributed much in the improved quality of the entries. "In SFA, there are mentors who guide the participants and these participants were also among those who have entered the filmmakers' competition. "I was also told that the comments which the judges, including me, had given on the works in previous years had helped this year's participants to understand the do's and dont's on the technical and creative side of filmmaking. "I think what KKIFF has done is that it produces filmmakers who think, instead of filmmakers who would go out and shoot… these filmmakers put much attention to their subjects and the art of filmmaking. "I think this would go a long way in creating good storytellers in Sabah." According to him, good filmmakers should go beyond the technicality of making films. "They should read a lot, watch other people's films, mix with those who are smarter than them and they need to travel a lot. "If they can do these things, we can expect to see the production of great works which can reach international-level standards." As the standard of competition is high this year, Hassan said it will motivate and inspire the next wave of filmmakers to reach for greater heights. "Festivals such as KKIFF are very important and I hope they will get some support from the government as well as from the Kuala Lumpur side. "These festivals need funding and it is important for KKIFF to be expanded so that it can bring more foreign filmmakers who can interact with the local culture," he said. Meanwhile, more than 40 films from Malaysia and Asean countries took part in the Buzz10 Filmmakers' Competition to vie for the Golden Kinabalu Awards in three categories – narrative, documentary and indigenous language. In the narrative category, Si Tommy by Kubendra M.S. Mahadevan from Malaysia won while When Our Gardens Grow Silent by Mzung from Vietnam came out on top in the documentary category. The indigenous language category was won by Kwan Thung Seng from Sabah for the film Hello Pirit. During the event, films produced by the SFA participants were also screened. Prizes were presented by Sabah Tourism Board (STB) Chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, Kadazandusun Language Foundation Chief Executive Officer Rita Lasimbang, Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu (SPArKS) President Roger Wang and KKIFF Director Jude Day. - Ricardo Unto Source: Daily Express
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