25Sep

Sabah annual art exhibition set to inspire, gets 614 entries

KOTA KINABALU: The 32nd Sabah Annual Art Exhibition this year received 614 entries, the most participation since its inception in 1985. A major annual art exhibition starting next month until January next year, the event will showcase 90 selected pieces by secondary school students and professional artists. Organiser Sabah Art Gallery (SAG) said the winners will be announced during the presentation ceremony on Oct 20, which will be officiated by Yang Di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin. “As usual, we have two school categories (lower and upper secondary) and and open category for artists. “But what is interesting this year is we got 614 entries, the highest in 32 years because on average we have received 350 entries; so this year it nearly doubles. “The reason was due to participation from the six zones (for schools in Sabah) which have increased drastically. “Sandakan for example sent in 164 entries compared to the usual below 20 entries. This was achieved due to collaboration with the Education Department,” said SAG curator Jennifer Linggi when contacted. She added that while the theme remained the same which is ‘Sabah in My Point of View’ where pieces involved any subjects or topics related to the State, it was evident that the standard of artworks have improved. “There were improvement in terms of of techniques as well as signs of deeper understanding and interpretation of current situation and social matters. “For example, a rhinoceros-related piece using doodle technique following the death of Puntung in the middle of this year, showed environmental awareness and at the same time utilises current contemporary style (of art). “We also received a lot more Khat calligraphy entries this year.” she added. Source : New Straits Times
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20Sep

Le Meridien and Four Points host annual “Take Care” run

KOTA KINABALU: Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu and Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan will be hosting the annual 5km fun charity run under the “TakeCare” movement by Marriott International. The movement was launched to provide resources and opportunities for associates to stay physically and spiritually healthy where the ultimate goal is to improve the well-being and happiness of the associates. “The fun charity run further underscores the commitment of Marriott International to ensure the presence of our hotels in terms of footprint and strength of the associates will continue to drive positive sustainable social and economic impact for the communities which we operate,” it said in a statement yesterday. Run to Give 2017 will be held simultaneously on Sept 24 across destinations in Asia Pacific, and for Sabah it will be held at Taman Ujana Rimba, Kota Kinabalu from 7am-10am. Registration is at RM50 per person and children under 5 years of age can participate for free. Only the first 250 registrations will receive one Ultron t-shirt, participating medal and certificate). Marriott International will channel the proceeds from this event to the National Kidney Foundation Malaysia. Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu and Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan have appointed PEMADAM Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu as its local beneficiary. PEMADAM is a non-governmental organization which organizes anti-drug awareness programs and activities in the city. Those who are interested to be a part of this global activity can contact Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu – Shirley Shim at +6013 866 6699 or Clara Lim at +6012 801 9935, and Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan – Haeruddin Nurdin at +6017 373 4028 or Mohd Azwan at +6016 552 3495. Source: New Sabah Times
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15Sep

Host Sabah all poised for Malaysia Day event

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is all set to host this year’s Malaysia Day programme which runs for three days from today. Workers have been putting the finishing touches to the stage and booth as well as canopies for the event. Full rehearsals have also been conducted every evening since Wednesday. This year’s Malaysia Day, which falls tomorrow, has heaps of activities lined up for the public. “So far, everything is going as planned and we hope there won’t be any hiccup,” said Malaysia Day organising committee deputy secretary Mariam Omar Matusin. Mariam, who is also state Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment deputy permanent secretary, said the event which will take place at the Sports Complex in Likas is expected to draw thousands of spectators.
 The Malaysia Day celebrations will see activities and programmes including exhibitions, concerts featuring local artistes, and the official launch tomorrow.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is expected to officiate the event. The events during these three days will start at 2pm and go on until night. The public is invited to come and make this Malaysia Day merrier. Malaysia Day commemorates the formation of the federation of Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963. Source : The Star
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11Sep

Tourism grew 10%

RANAU: Tourist arrivals to Sabah grew about 10 per cent between 2015 and 2016, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun revealed. He said arrivals grow from 3.176 million in 2015 to 3.427 million last year, and these figures came from the immigration authorities in Malaysia, Malaysia Airports Sdn Bhd and airlines such as AirAsia. The figures showed that Sabah was a must-visit destination among tourists, he said when officiating Rhythms of Kinabalu @ Ranau at the tamu grounds here last Saturday evening. His speech was delivered by his assistant Datuk Kamarlin Hj Ombi. The event was organized by the Department of Culture and Arts in collaboration with the State Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment. Masidi said the state government will continue developing the tourism industry by introducing more tourism products especially those from the rural areas. One such effort is the Sabah Rural Tourism Roadshow which was launched in August 2017. “Environment-based tourism products have been drawing tourists and we are looking forward to growth in the supporting businesses such as transportation, accommodation, food and others. “The presence of the tourists has also indirectly contributed to improvements in elements of our lifestyle. We hope that elements of our culture will be able to draw more tourists to Sabah.” Masidi, who is also the state assemblyman of Karanaan, said Sabah’s natural attraction – being located on the third largest island in the world (Borneo) and being the second largest state in Malaysia (with 72,500 square kilometres) are attractive. “Therefore picking Ranau for this event is the right decision because Ranau is known as an attractive destination by domestic and overseas tourists, being home to Kinabalu the World Heritage Site.” Ranau is also home to Desa Cattle (sometimes described as Little New Zealand), Poring Hot Springs, Tagal Luanti, Rabbit Village, Sabah Tea and the mythical Nunuk Ragang, where the Kadazandusun community was said to have originated. The Rhythms of Kinabalu @ Ranau event was the first to be organized under the National Blue Ocean Strategy to showcase Ranau’s community and tourism attractions. Source : New Sabah Times
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07Sep

Borneo Eco Film Festival to showcase 18 films from around the world

KOTA KINABALU: The seventh edition of Borneo Eco Film Festival (BEFF) will be screening 18 films from around the world on Sept 22-24 at Suria Sabah Shopping Mall in Sabah. BEFF director Melissa Leong said among the participating countries besides Malaysia are United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Turkey, Myanmar, The Netherlands and Singapore. Melissa said seven short films would be screened during the BEFF ‘365 Fringe Screening’ at selected locations around Sabah throughout the year. “The three-day festival is an annual non-profit event celebrating Borneo’s biocultural diversity through showcasing environmental films and nurturing local community film making. “During the festival, cinephiles are treated to Asian and Southeast Asian premieres of documentaries that highlight a variety of issues from elephant conservation to indigenous land rights,” she said at a press conference here yesterday, adding that all the film screenings were free to the public. Melissa noted that one of the films that would touch the hearts of people in Sabah titled ‘Mount Kinabalu — North Borneo 1961’ and produced by the UK Royal Society was filmed in 1961 on old film reels discovered in the Royal Society archives. Some films highlighted insects as delicacies, how the fashion industry impacts the environment and how cats became an integral part of a city. Besides the film-screenings, the festival would also feature educational talks, discussion panels, workshops and an Eco Art Carnival showcasing eco-themed art installations as well as an arts and crafts market. In conjunction with the festival, BEFF organised the Suara community filmmaking programme with a series of film making workshops since March for the indigenous and local community, whose films would premiere on the final day (Sept 24) of the festival. Further information and updates on the festival are available at www.beff.org.my or on BEFF’s Facebook page. — Bernama Source : The Borneo Post
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