All articles of environment in Sabah

08Apr

The tale of Mat Salleh, at Sabah Fest 2016

KOTA KINABALU: The tale of legendary Sabah warrior, Mat Salleh will be performed on stage at the Sabah Fest 2016 from April 29 to May 1 at the National Department for Culture and Arts Sabah (JKKN) auditorium. Entitled, ‘Gulu Gulu-A Tribute to the Past’, it also marks the start of the month-long Harvest Festival celebration in May. “Gulu Gulu is a Kadazandusun word meaning ‘a long time ago’. This year we adopted the story of Mat Salleh set during the colonial era between 1894 (Sandakan) until his death in Tambunan in 1900,” said Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun when announcing the show at Wisma Tun Fuad yesterday. “His story will be interpreted through dance, song and music as it brings the audience on an expedition across Sabah to showcase places and timelines of historical significance during Mat Salleh’s daring exploit of resistance against the British North Borneo Chartered Company rule,” he said. “The unique part of Mat Salleh was his supposedly mystical power. One example told to me by my grandfather was during the battle in Ranau where they were holed up by the British in the area where the SIBchurch is now sited,” shared Masidi. “The British were shelling Mat Salleh until the shooting stopped and the British thought they had either fled or run out of ammunition but they did not go in because they could still hear the gong beating. “So the next day they launched a surprise attack only to discover he had already left but according to my grandfather the gong was still beating by itself which was a trick created by Mat Salleh to make the British think he was still inside and that gave him sufficient time to escape,” he continued. “I don’t know how true the story is but my grandfather was there and the incident was known by the people in Ranau,” he said. “Another magical part was that my grandfather vehemently denied Mat Salleh was killed in Tambunan because he was such a brave person and could not have died just like that. So that part we leave it to the audience to speculate at the end of the show,” he said. The show will also feature other ethnic groups such as the Kadazan Penampang performing the Sumazau, Dusun Liwan of Ranau (Medtemu and Sumirip), Bajau Sama of Semporna (Limbaiyan and Kuntau, Suluk Sandakan (Singkil and Pengalai Kab Kab) and the Dusun Tambunan (Magarang). There will be traditional food and handicraft showcased from 5pm to 10pm at the compounds of JKKN. Masidi also thanked Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park and Telekom Malaysia for sponsoring tickets worthRM3,000 or 60 tickets for school students and he hoped other corporations would do the same. The show starts at 8pm and tickets are priced at RM50. More information can be obtained from event manager Zachary Mobijohn at 088-232121. Source: New Sabah Times
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08Apr

25 get wildlife warden certificates

SEMPORNA: Twenty-five volunteers from different resorts, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and agencies here were awarded the Honorary Wildlife Warden certificates upon their completion of a three-day course at a hotel here from March 29 to 31. District Officer Dr Chacho Haji Bulah said the course was organised by the Wildlife Department and the Semporna World Wildlife Fund (WWF) aimed at strengthening the conservation of biodiversity and natural resources particularly in Semporna. Speaking when officiating at the closing ceremony of the course here on March 31, he said marine life, especially the lives of Hawksbill Turtles and Green Turtles were threatened by humans. He therefore hoped that the 25 participants could assist the government in monitoring wildlife, especially the marine species which are vital assets to Semporna. He said there was a need to create awareness among the people about the importance of marine life which could attract tourists. -ends Source: Borneo Post
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08Apr

Make it rain: Sabah urges MOSTI to conduct cloud-seeding

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government is urging the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to execute cloud seeding to mitigate the worsening haze situation in the state. State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the people’s health and wellbeing had to be prioritised. “It is time for the state government to discuss with the federal ministry in implementing cloud seeding to make it rain and improve the hazy situation,” he told a press conference on Sabah Fest 2016 here today. Three districts of Beaufort, Papar and Kuala Penyu recorded Air Pollutant Index (API) readings between unhealthy and very unhealthy levels today. Earlier, Masidi said the Sabah Fest, themed “gulu gulu”, would be showcased at the Auditorium Kompleks JKKN Sabah from April 28 to May 1. The musical will depict ancient warrior Datuk Paduka Mat Salleh fighting the British during colonial rule. Tickets are priced at RM50 each. Source: News Straits Times
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06Apr

Tourists return to Malaysia’s Mount Kinabalu after Sabah quake

KUALA LUMPUR: Climbers are returning in droves to Malaysia’s easternmost state of Sabah, ten months after an earthquake that killed 18, Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Masidi Manjun said on Friday (Apr 1). Around 3,600 tourists, mostly foreigners, climbed the 4,000-m tall Mt Kinabalu in March, up from 1,200 tourists in January, Mr Masidi told Channel NewsAsia on the sidelines of a welcome dinner for Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who is in Sabah for a working visit. The park was closed for six months after the earthquake for repairs, but opened to the public in December. Two new trails will soon be opened, set to offer a better view for climbers. "Your experience will be better than before, and it will also be safer, if I may say so,” said Mr Masidi. Authorities have limited the number of climbers per day to 120, down from the previous limit of 190. Mountain guides are also now required to pass an important test in rescue and crisis response before their licenses are renewed, with experts in mountain rescue from Canada and Japan offering free training to the guides. "Now, we are making it compulsory for everyone to pass - so that when you become a guide, you need to be certified for the rescue unit at the same time,” said Mr Masidi.   Tour operators also have a responsibility to make sure climbers fully understand the guidelines of the trip before commencing their ascent. A group of western tourists were said to have taken off their clothes and urinated at the peak of Mt Kinabalu, a week before the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Sabah on Jun 5 last year. Locals believe their actions angered the guardian of Mt Kinabalu, which is considered sacred. Since the park reopened, tourists are required to sign an understanding before their climb, subjected to native court jurisdictions. The new rules could see climbers being put behind bars immediately for failing to observe guidelines. "If you don’t sign, you don’t climb,” said Mr Masidi. “If for any reason they end up doing what they are not supposed to do, then they have to face the full brunt of the law.” The quake was the strongest to hit the country since 1976. The victims included seven students, two teachers and one trainer from Singapore’s Tanjong Katong Primary School. It also damaged trails, hostels and other infrastructure.- CNA/yt

Source: Channel NewsAsia

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01Apr

Heritage Site status for 10 Sabah tourist spots: Nazri

Kota Kinabatangan: Ten tourist spots in Sabah will be gazetted National Heritage Sites, says Tourism and Culture Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz . They are Batu Tulug Agop Archaeological Site Kinabatangan, Kinabalu National Park, Bukit Tengkorak Archaeological Park Semporna, Marine Park Pulau Sipadan, Maliau Basin, Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Turtle Island Park, and Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Mohamed Nazri said the sites would be officially gazetted under the National Heritage Act 2005 as it was important to preserve such places of interest. "To date, a total of 12 Sabah heritage involving games, clothings, traditional food and dances have been gazetted as national heritage," he said during a visit to Batu Tulug Agop Archaeological Site near here. He added that national recognition of the 10 sites was important before they could be nominated as World Heritage Sites under Unesco. Mohamed Nazri said the Ministry, through the National Heritage Department and the Sabah Government, via the Sabah Parks were in the midst of evaluating Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon which had potential for nomination as World Heritage Sites. On the Batu Tulug Agop Archaeological Site, Mohamed Nazri said the area used to be a burial site where community in the past used log coffins to bury the dead. He said it was believed there were over 2,000 coffins in the caves of the Kinabatangan Valley. Nazri also assured that tourism destinations and attractions in the East Coast of Sabah are safe to visit. He said security forces conduct 24-hour patrols and surveillance to ensure safety in the East Coast area, including tourist spots, is at the best level. "I come here as the Minister of Tourism and Culture to see for myself and to affirm that the East Coast is safe to be visited," he said after the six-day working visit to destinations in Sandakan and some in Kinabatangan. Among the attractions were the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Bakkungaan Kecil and Selingan islands at Turtle Island Park, Kg Sukau and Gomantong Cave in Kinabatangan. Also present were State Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun and other senior officials. Nazri also urged districts in the State to be aggressive in promoting their tourism products to other communities and outside the country. This is because those districts have vast areas and possess tourism attraction based on eko-tourism, culture and heritage. Nazri said direct flights from Singapore, China and several other countries to Kota Kinabalu have facilitated foreign tourists to visit the district without having to transit at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Meanwhile, Masidi said in his speech the travel advisory issued by certain countries did not affect tourist arrivals among foreign tourists to Sabah. He cited the number of tourists from China which rose by 24 per cent last January. He attributed the increase mainly to the 61 direct flights every week, between China and Kota Kinabalu. Source: Daily Express
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