Tag - Culture

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah State Museum will be throwing a grand Golden Jubilee celebration marking its 50th anniversary, packed with a host of exciting events and attractions lined up throughout 2015 for all to enjoy. “We are most delighted to announce the Sabah State Museum’s 50th Golden Jubilee Celebration, marking this momentous milestone with a galore of exciting events to headline our 50th anniversary which culminates with the official launching on July 25 by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Hj Aman,” said State Museum Director Joanna Kitingan. During the press conference yesterday, she said the four-month celebration commemorates the museum’s 50th year milestone with a range of exhibitions set to chronicle the state’s development, cultural heritage and previous leaders through images, artifacts and stories. “This will be a memorable celebration befitting of the theme ‘The story of us all’. Everyone is most welcomed to join in the programmes and festivities in store for our Golden Jubilee Celebration, the museum belongs to everyone; it tells all our stories,” she said. There will also be a special book launching of the first volume of the “Diaries of George C. Woolley” which chronicles G.C Wooleys’ first tour of duty in British North Borneo from 1901 -1932, whose works, writings and contributions provided a key foundation to the Museum’s early collections of artifacts, photographs and appropriate annotations. The book, which is edited by Professor Dr. Danny Wong and State Museum Head of Corporate Services Section, Stella Moo-Tan will be launched by Cultural, Tourism and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun on July 15 at 9:00am, at G.C Wooley Hall. A number of opening festivities are planned for the 50th anniversary, including the Crafts Exotica festival from July 1-July 26 celebrating Sabah’s ethnic art and craft, which will take place at key state museum locations across the state. “ Leading up to our grand jubilee celebration, the state wide Crafts Exotica carnival will be held at the State Museum’s Kampung Warisan, Agnes Keith House in Sandakan, The Agop Batu Tulug Museum, Kinabatangan, Keningau Warisan Museum, and Galeria Kubu Mat Sator and Kampung Kapayan Baru in Tambunan,” said Joanna. The 3 week-long cultural carnival will showcase a vibrant display and live demonstration of indigenous crafts, including textile production, traditional clothing, weaving and embroidery. Among the main highlights of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations, Joanna noted the museum will also be hosting a Golden Jubilee Historical Walkathon which takes visitors on an educational tour around the museum and historical landmarks in the city. “The walkathon is scheduled to begin as early as 7:00am which begins from the State Museum’s taking on a 4 km route, crossing ST. Francis School, walking along Tunku Abdul Rahman road before heading back to the Sabah Museum,” she said. Furthermore, Joanna highlighted the museum’s grand golden celebration will take place in the main building of the State Museum where it will host a range of exhibitions covering the history of the museum, the works and contribution by museum staff since its founding on July 15, 1965 until the present day. “Since the establishment of the State Museum in 1965, there is an immense amount of work involved in organising exhibitions, preservation of artifacts, research and documentation of priceless heritage, which will be displayed for visitors,” she said. Among others, Joanna said the State Museum will also be hosting a Museum Seminar, with the theme “The Museum And Sabah’s Heritage” which gathers researchers, curators, university experts from local and national universities, including University Malaysia Sabah(UMS) and University Malaya . The seminar which takes place from July 28-30 also features guest speakers from the National Museum, Sarawak Museum, as well as international speakers from the Philippines and Japan. “The museum will also be organising a special exhibition chronicling “Women in History” from August 28-Dec 28 which spotlights women’s rights and development throughout history, and also a Borneo Beads Carnival from 7-11 Oct,”she said, adding everyone is welcome to participate in the State Museum’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Source: New Sabah Times

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia (AFP) - Four Western tourists were ordered deported from Malaysia on Friday after pleading guilty to obscenity charges for taking nude photos on a popular climbing peak, an act some in the country blamed for causing a deadly earthquake. The defendants – Eleanor Hawkins of Britain, 24, Dutchman Dylan Snel, 23, and Canadian brother and sister Lindsey, 23, and Danielle Petersen, 22 – were arrested earlier this week in the wake of the deadly June 5 quake which killed 18 people on Mount Kinabalu. A court in Kota Kinabalu, capital of the state of Sabah on Borneo island, sentenced them to three days’ jail time starting from when they were arrested on Tuesday, meaning their term had been served. They also were fined 5,000 Malaysian ringgit (S$1,800) and ordered deported for committing an “obscene act in a public place,” which can carry a three-month jail term. It was not immediately clear when they would be deported. “It is a wake-up call to tourists not to ignore local traditions and culture,” Mr Masidi Manjun, the state’s tourism minister, told AFP. “Since they pleaded guilty and showed remorse, it is only fair that they are let off with a fine by the court.” Hawkins’ father expressed relief at the verdict, adding he wanted to get his daughter home safely. “We are relieved... As far as we know she is currently under the protection of the consulate,” Mr Tim Hawkins told British newspaper The Guardian. “We really do want her home, but we’ve got no idea what is going to happen and when.” He had earlier released a statement saying his daughter knows what she did “was stupid and disrespectful and is very sorry for the offence that she has caused the Malaysian people.” The 4,095-metre peak, a World Heritage Site and popular climbing destination, is considered sacred to tribal groups on Borneo, and many Malaysians were incensed after the photos taken May 30 circulated on the Internet. The four convicted Friday were among a larger group of tourists believed by authorities to have taken part. Police told AFP on Friday they were still seeking five others, but that some were thought to have left Sabah. The defendants were hustled into court through a media scrum including reporters from Britain who arrived in the sleepy state capital to follow Hawkins’ fortunes. The two women were handcuffed together, as were the men, all four looking nervous. The court was told the nudists challenged each other to take off their clothes to see who could withstand the summit’s chilly air, ignoring the admonishments of their local mountain guide. The two men stripped completely nude while the two women went topless, the charge sheet said. All four quickly stated “guilty’ when asked to enter a plea. Indecent exposure and other acts considered obscene are strongly frowned upon in Muslim-majority Malaysia. Some have suggested the act angered tribal spirits believed to dwell on the mountain, causing the 6.0-magnitude earthquake. Following the quake, Malaysian social media users began to direct increasing anger at the nudists. Last Saturday, Sabah’s deputy chief minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan and other officials also suggested a link to the quake. “This is very offensive behaviour and showed disrespect to the sacred mountain...This will certainly bring misfortune,” he had told reporters. The earthquake, rare for Malaysia, sent landslides and boulders raining down just as more than 150 hikers were near the summit enjoying its sunrise views. The 18 dead included seven schoolchildren from Singapore, along with two of their teachers and another adult who were on a school excursion to the mountain. Source: The Straits Times

Kundasang: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Government will consider giving special recognition to the mountain guides involved in the search and rescue operations for earthquake victims on Mount Kinabalu. The Deputy Prime Minister described the mountain guides as "unsung heroes", because they have done a great thing. "They rescued climbers stranded on Mount Kinabalu and brought down injured victims after the earthquake. They are the ones I would say are the unsung heroes ... what is the special recognition, that needs to be considered," he said. Earlier, he also praised the efficiency of the rescue teams comprising members of various agencies, including mountain guides, who worked feverishly to save the victims. Muhyiddin thanked the rescue teams which comprised the police, fire and rescue department, armed forces, Special Malaysian Disaster Assistance and Rescue (SMART) team and the Malaysian Civil Defence Department (JPAM) for successfully carrying out their duties despite the dangers and difficulties involved. "We want to say thank you and congratulations to them because action was taken immediately, and secondly, this is a popular area, many climbers had come here including at the time of the incident, hundreds of climbers were up there (peak of Mount Kinabalu). "The district police Chief provided data on climbers from Singapore, Japan, Turkey, Malaysia, etc. This figure has been conveyed to me, including those who died as a result of the tremors up there, and most of the bodies have been brought down," he said. State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the government will take appropriate action to recognised the contributions of the mountain guides. He said he had been tasked by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to compile the names of mountain guides who had and "risked their lives" on the top of the mountain, trying to rescue the 137 people down to safety on Saturday. "According to the Deputy Prime Minister the mountain guides who have assisted in the rescue operations are the "unsung heroes" or the real heroes in the search missions," he said. "A simple token of appreciation from the government to the guides will be made," he added. Local Government and Housing Assistant Minister Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam also called for the mountain guides and porters to be given due recognition and appreciation. Gunsalam, who is Kundasang Assemblyman, said with the closure of the parks for reassessment and repair, they have lost their main source of income. "They really have done a lot and have yet to get due recognition," he said. "I personally salute their bravery and unselfishness in helping evacuate or bringing those who were injured. No words can express my sincere thanks and gratefulness to them. "They are indeed the heroes and made the country and State proud. Some indeed were killed while helping others while all the guides risked their lives when they could simply escape earlier if they did not think about the welfare of the climbers," he said. State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun on Saturday was quoted as saying that the mountain would be off limits to climbers for three weeks. Meanwhile, Muhyiddin also announced a RM10,000 financial aid from the Federal and State governments to families of the earthquake victims from Malaysia who perished. For victims who sustained injuries, he said a financial aid of RM2,000 would be given to them while RM1,000 would be given to those who did not sustain injuries but traumatised by the incident. The aid was only for Malaysian citizens. Also present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin and Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Ewon Ebin and Masidi. Source: Daily Express

Kudat: Aprilissa Sue Ann, winner of the State level Sugandoi Kaamatan 2015, sang a heart-rending "Note to God" at a packed Tip of Borneo Sunset Music Fest Saturday night, in remembrance of those killed at Mount Kinabalu during Friday morning's 5.9 magnitude earthquake. The irony was "Note to God" coincided with the most beautiful sunset ever seen at the tip, particularly in conjunction with the sunset music fest, according to Yap Ling, conductor of the Jesselton Philharmonic Orchestra. Partly an emotional prayer, "Note to God", a high selling digital number originally sung by Filipino Clarice Pempengo, written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster, was first performed at the Oprah Winfield show. "I inserted 'Note to God' to my repertoire especially for the 'fallen heroes' and all those affected by the aftermath of the earth quake," said Aprilissa who started with a Chinese number 'Listen to the Oceans'; 'Lucky and' and 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'. "I knew some 20 people died. That's why I was teary and kind of carried away while singing that song," said mandarin-fluent Aprilissa, a graduate of Sabah Tao and an events organiser. Key attendees in the audience picked up Aprilissa's emotional vibes of the moment. "I thought it was absolutely beautiful to share Sabah's culture on a very emotional day," said Thomas Anderse, General Manager of Gayana Eco Resort and Bunga Raya. "I felt very privileged to be here because of the terrible happenings yesterday (Friday morning)," said Andersen who said it moved him with an idea to promote the Tip of Borneo Music Fest even more next year. "I think this could be done. We can promote this a lot more than we have to the international community. This should be on the list of every visitor who comes to Sabah," Andersen reckoned. "The beauty of this sunset music festival is that the locals and international community are mixing well and that's what it's all about," Andersen said. Indeed the open, natural and leisurely atmosphere saw foreigners and locals filling the stage dancing away with gusto to the tunes of local songs and bands and just enjoyed the occasion. The evening captured hearts right from the word go. Permata Seni Muzik, comprising 8-14 year old kids conducted by Mustafa Fuzer Nawi, struck off with stirring sounds of strings on familiar great classical pieces from Bach, Mendelssohn, Roassini, Tchaikovski, to modern pop tunes from Lady Gaga to Abba the standard of which stunned music buffs. Followed by amazing operatic singing from La Cantabile- Classical voices who belted out 'The Phantom of the Opera'; 'Nella Fantasia'; 'O Sole Mio' and capped it with 'You Raise Me up'. Energetic dances from The Flexible Crew transmitted the vibes, with inviting showmanship thrown in by the rest –Daisy Daniel, Norbert Andilah, The Deep Buskers and the indomitable veteran Dusun song great and entertainer - Francis Landong. But what added visible color to it all was the presence of five tall Unduk Ngadau 2015 finalists – Sheraline Jane, Cheryl Lynn, Natashia, Kimberly Bung and Everina. But in obvious absence was Minister of Culture, Tourism and Environment, Datuk Panglima Seri Masidi Manjun and his deputy, Datuk Pang Nyuk Ming or even Datuk Irene Charuruks, General Manager of Sabah Tourism Board, who were understandably busy attending to the aftermath of the Kinabalu quake tragedy. However, Sitti Damsal, General Manager of Sri Peloncongan Sabah which produced the event, was onsite. Source: Daily Express