Tag - Environment

PETALING JAYA: The proboscis monkey, also known as the long-nosed monkey, will be the official mascot for Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014. Tourism Malaysia, in a statement Friday, said the Ministry of Tourism & Culture Malaysia chose the proboscis monkey as it “encapsulated the essence of Malaysia Truly Asia”. This proboscis monkey belongs to the Asian langurs and is the only member of the Nasalis genus. They are primarily found in Borneo, particularly in Sabah, and are one of the most endangered animals in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species In the past, the orang utan, leatherback turtle and hornbill have been used to promote Visit Malaysia Year and state-level tourism campaigns. Unlike other wildlife species that are scattered around the country, proboscis monkeys are mostly concentrated in Kinabatangan, Sukau, Sandakan, Klias and other parts of Sabah. “Like the diversity encapsulated in the Malaysia Truly Asia branding, proboscis monkeys also possess diverse skills. “They frequently leap from tree limbs and hit the water with a comical belly flop, as well as attract their mate with their unusually large and long nose. “The proboscis monkey also has webbed feet, which enable it to swim." Meanwhile, in Kunming city in China, Tourism Malaysia Chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen urged her overseas directors to focus on the VMY 2014 promotions with special emphasis on mega events that were highly saleable to the East Asia market. She made this call to Tourism Malaysia’s overseas directors, deputy directors and marketing managers of the East Asian market during the Overseas Directors Regional Meeting which was held in Kunming City, China. Also present was Tourism Malaysia Deputy Director General, Datuk Azizan Noordin. “The meeting, coinciding with the China International Travel Mart (CITM) 2013, was organised to evaluate the overall performance for 2012 and the first of half of 2013 as well as to study the changing trends of the respective markets and the implication of the implementation of the China Tourism Act, which was expected to affect China outbound travel,” said Dato’ Seri Dr. Ng Yen Yen. Among the Tourism Malaysia Chairman’s key messages to her officers were to embark on more joint promotions with corporate and private sectors as well as tour operators in the region including the airlines in an effort to improve connectivity. “In fact, proboscis monkeys are fairly good swimmers. Naturally, they have always been crowd pullers, especially for eco-adventure tourists who would not miss a chance to catch a glimpse of this monkey.” In the statement, Tourism Malaysia said the use of the proboscis monkey as the mascot for VMY 2014 would give credence and recognition to wildlife as well as instil interest among tourists to appreciate nature as a national tourism asset. “In addition, having the proboscis monkey as the mascot will also elevate Malaysia in the eyes of the world, by promoting its nature and wildlife conservatory initiatives through tourism,” it said. Source: The Star

KOTA KINABALU: The first dedicated turtle rescue centre in Sabah was officially launched yesterday, marked with the release of its first rescued turtle back into the sea. The launch was officiated by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, who also helped to carry the turtle, named Bobby, from its temporary holding tank into the water. The turtle rescue centre is part of the Gaya Island Marine Centre (GIMC), which was also officiated by Masidi yesterday. Located on Gaya Island within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, GIMC also carries out coral reef restoration and marine conservation education programmes. “The story of Bobby is a happy one, a story of hope,” said Masidi in his officiating speech. He also launched a hard-cover coffee table book entitled “Natural Wonders” featuring plants, animals and places of interest at and around YTL Hotel properties around the world. YTL Hotel is the operator of Gaya Island Resort, along with several other resorts and hotels in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Japan, France and UK, including the recipient of 2003 world’s best resort award winner, Pangkor Laut Resort. The resort’s marine biologist, Scott Mayback, said they found the turtle floating near the island five months ago. “The turtle tank was not completed yet at the time but we decided to bring it back and try to nurture it back to health. We named it Bobby. “It was in very bad shape. It could not dive or eat and there were several times I’ve mistaken it to be dead, because it was so inactive. “In fact, the only thing that it could eat for the first three months were fish oil, which we injected directly to its oesophagus. One day, we took a leap of faith and tried a new antibiotic and the result is the healthy turtle that you see today,” said Mayback before releasing Bobby. Masidi in his address also touched on the importance of conserving and preserving nature, and turning it into a sustainable economic earner for the State. He said Sabah is blessed with natural wonders like nowhere else but faced with many challenges in maintaining these priceless resources for the next generation. “Our philosophy is that less is more. We want to leave a legacy for the next generation. We don’t want to just preserve what we have but make it even better. “This, however, is not an easy task because we are surrounded by people who only want to make a quick buck, people who want to sell turtle eggs, those who want to harvest all the logs without a care for conserving the forest,” he said. Despite having to deal with many obstacles, he said Sabah is steadily and surely heading towards the right direction in ensuring its natural resources are used in a sustainable manner. He noted that the State is on its way to achieving its goal of keeping 60 per cent of its land under forest cover. “Some ten years ago, our revenue from logging was more than RM2 billion but today the industry only earns a few hundred million due to significant reduction of logging concession areas. “At the same time, our revenues from tourism has increased drastically, roughly RM5 billion today. So, we have more than made up for the loss,” he said. Masidi also said that he expected the tourism sector to continue growing at a faster rate than previously predicted. He reckoned Sabah would exceed the three million tourist arrivals targeted for this year, adding that the tourism receipts for Sabah may reach up to RM5.8 billion, surpassing the initial target of RM5.2 billion. Source: Borneo Post