Sabah Most Wanted

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 11:49:00 -0700

'Transvestite' performing at Suria Sabah told to report to police station - The Borneo Post

KOTA KINABALU: An individual, believed to be a transvestite, stole the limelight of a busking band at the Suria Sabah shopping mall for all the wrong reasons after a video clip of her performance went viral on social media.
Singing Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”, the attention given was obviously not towards her singing skills but were drawn towards her choice of wardrobe; wearing a tight fitting top with a loose opening on the front, the singer’s breasts were visibly noticeable throughout the video, although she was obviously seen struggling to tuck them in.
The individual was initially mistaken to be part of the band, although she was seen still holding on to her handbag while singing.
The Suria Sabah shopping mall management had issued a statement yesterday clarifying that the individual was not part of the band and had gone out to perform without the mall’s authorization.
The actual band, it said, was a local band endorsed by the Sabah Cultural Board consisting of a father and his two sons and his brother only.
Attaching the statement with an official letter from the Cultural Board, the management explained that the said family had performed at the mall numerous times throughout Christmas and without any incident.
“It is very, very sad that the lady in the photo/video took advantage of the circumstances and popped in with such indecent attire and exhibition and created a negative image of the mall, the performing band, and LKNS.
“Our management strictly does not support such indecent act and exhibition,” it said in the statement issued yesterday, adding that the act lasted for about four minutes giving no time for the mall’s security team to notice and stop it.
The individual was also said to go by the name ‘Papai Ciecie’ on Facebook, whose profile page and uploaded photos clearly showed her ‘niche’ for exposing her voluptuous breasts.
Police had received a report on the matter, which stated that the incident took place at about 5pm last Saturday (January 16).
The report read that while the buskers were performing, three women came and one of them who was wearing ‘eye-popping’ attire suddenly took over the microphone from the buskers and asked if she could sing instead.
“According to eye witnesses, while singing, the woman’s breasts had popped out of her blouse and she quickly put them back in. The performance, including the obscene bit, lasting a total of about four minutes, had been recorded by patrons,” said city police chief ACP M. Chandra.
“The obscene act is seen as inappropriate especially considering that it took place in an open place like the shopping mall frequented by families and often with small children,” he added.
Police are looking for Randy Jubidi, who is believed to be the individual in the said video and photos which have gone viral and appeared in local and portal news to report ‘herself’ at the Kota Kinabalu or any nearest police station to help with the rest of the investigation of the case which was being investigated under Section 294 of the Penal Code for obscene performance.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 11:48:00 -0700

10 bridal designers to pit skills - Daily Express

10 bridal designers to pit skills
Published on: Thursday, July 21, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Ten young local designers will be vying for the top accolade in the Bridal Dresses Design Competition (BDDC) at the Sabah Wedding Showcase at Suria Sabah, this weekend. Organise, Elevent Avenue Media Marketing's Creative Director Alfred Allen Ginsos said the winners will receive attractive prizes including a chance to be featured in a local magazine.
"All of the designers are young … aged below 30 years. They were asked to create a design from scratch where they are prohibited to buy a ready-made dress and modify it.
"Each designer was allocated a month to finish their dresses and the theme for the competition is 'Precious Wedding'," he said on Wednesday.
Alfred added, he was made to understand that this is the first bridal dress design competition held in Sabah.
"It is a good platform for creative local designers, especially the young ones to showcase their talent.
Through the competition, other designers will realise that there are more to designing dresses.
"They can now venture into designing bridal dresses. We aim to enhance their creativity as well as test their ability to come up with original designs.
"There are many top designers for wedding dresses in KL and abroad. Unfortunately we are lacking designers who focus on bridal dresses in Sabah.
"The designers in the State are talented and we just have to polish their skills and perhaps they can even build their own brands to cater the wedding industry."
According to Alfred, the judging will be done on Sunday where the designers will present their designs through their models in front of three judges – catwalk guru Benjamin Toong, former Unduk Ngadau winner Kathie Renjus Majimbun and Miss Sabah Malaysia World 2013 Jassinta Alexia Matimbun Mirasol.
BDDC is part of the Sabah Wedding Showcase to be held for three days, starting tomorrow (Friday).
"The Sabah Wedding Showcase is your source of innovative ideas and event professionals to ensure your special day is not only of the happiest days of your life but also one of the most unforgettable.
"It is co-organised by Elixir Events Management where we have the mission to enhance the lifestyle events in the City as well as support small and medium Bumiputera companies that need a good platform for their businesses and services."
The showcase will feature exhibitions, catwalk shows and workshops, he said. It will be officiated by Datin Vicky Yee and Datin Jeanette Tambakau on Friday.
"Admission is free and the event starts from 11am until 9pm on each day. Visitors will also have the chance to win fabulous prizes through the 'Visit and Win' contest," he said.
For more information, visit the official Facebook page: Sabah Wedding Showcase.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Sat, 2 Jul 2016 13:33:00 -0700

Sandakan

Before this, I have to tell a little about the city of Kota Kinabalu, the heart of the city in Sabah and also the state capital of Sabah, now I will jugular info about the city sandakan who also became one of the focal point for travelers and is also the second largest city after city kinabalu.

Sandakan or better known as Elopora once situated sandakan bay and next to the eastern coast of Borneo island menjadikanya one of the best.

Sandakan which has a population of 479.121 people (2009) is one of the popular tourist destination as the ecotourism in Sabah, there are several popular tourist destination located in Sandakan example Kinabatangan River Gomantong Caves, Taman Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary and Turtle Islands Park. Sandakan Airport is an airport that is the main entrance of tourists from all over Malaysia and abroad to this city.

Actually there are a few tourist center that has become one of the historic tourist center that has become a heritage in Sandakan for example.

Agnes Keith House, also known as Newlands - two-storey house owned by a local author Agnes Newton Keith and husband Harry (Curator of the Museum of North Borneo) from 1930 to 1952. The house was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt on the same site. Pn. Keith wrote several books about Sabah and its people, including the Land Below the Wind, Three Came Home, and White Man Returns. Recently this house enjoy a recovery after years of neglect.

Inggeris Tea House - located on the site of the Museum Agnes Keith, a restaurant on the hillside above Sandakan serving traditional British dishes and Asia. Address: 2002 Jalan Istana - tel: 6089 222 544

Sandakan Memorial Park - built on the site of a prisoner of war camp at Batu 7 Forest Park.

Japanese Cemetery - housing a memorial to Japan's war dead in Borneo.

Church of St Michael's and All Angels - granite church was built in 1897 and is one of a small number of pre-war buildings that still exist in Sandakan. This church is recognized as a world heritage site since 2005.

Puu Jih Shih Buddhist Temple - red and gold temple which was completed in 1987 overlooks the city center.

Temple Sam Sing Kung Temple - completed in 1887 is the oldest building in Sandakan.
Sandakan Mosque - which was completed in 1988 is located near the bay and Kampung Buli Sim Sim.

Kampung Buli Sim Sim - stilt fishing village on the original site of Sandakan town.

Sandakan market - the market's largest and busiest in the state.

Crocodile Farm - is situated 12 km (7.5 miles) from Sandakan, houses over 2,000 reptiles in a concrete pool.

Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary - Proboscis monkey observation point for tourists who want to approach this ape species in its natural habitat.

Tambah Gambar

Pilih fail untuk dimuat naik

Suka · Komen

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Fri, 1 Jul 2016 12:51:00 -0700

Rhino Crisis Round Up: Hope for Asian Rhinos & More

Animals

Published on January 5th, 2012 | by Rhishja Cota-Larson

January 5th, 2012 by Rhishja Cota-Larson

The New Year seems to be starting off on a positive note for Asian rhinos, with encouraging news about greater one-horned, Javan, and Sumatran rhinos.
Meanwhile, a new initiative in South Africa is launched to rehabilitate rhino calves orphaned by the continuing killing spree.
‘Missing’ rhino located
A straying greater one-horned rhino was found after being “lost” in Manas National Park, near India’s border with Bhutan.
When radio signals from the collar worn by “Rhino3” stopped, the monitoring team sprung into action to locate the wayward rhino.
The search for Rhino3 took nearly a month, and required over 100 elephant hours, 150 kilometers on foot, and 500 liters of fuel.
Finally, Rhino3 was located at one of the ponds in the Charpuli area.
Rhino3 is one of the rhinos reintroduced to Manas from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV 2020) initiative.
Women on patrol
In Nepal, the Kanchanjunga Women Group of the Amaltari Mid-zone Forest Users Committee are joining forces to protect greater one-horned rhinos.
According to The Himalayan Times, the women are patrolling the village and forest entry points. Anyone entering without showing proper identification will be under suspicion for rhino poaching.
Meena Mahato, a spokesperson for the group, told the Times: “Daily patrolling is a part of our efforts to protect rhinos living in the local community forest.”
Love in the air for Borneo rhinos?
One of the world’s extremely rare Sumatran rhino subspecies (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni) — a male named “Tam” — may finally have the opportunity to mate.
A young female Borneo rhino named “Puntung” was airlifted from the Sabah rainforest into an enclosed area within the Tabin Wildlife Forest Reserve, where Tam resides.
Check out this video for a rare glimpse of a Borneo rhino:
There are believed to be only around 200 Sumatran rhinos left, with 40 of this subspecies still surviving in areas so fragmented that some may never meet another of their own kind.
Executive director of the Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA), Junaidi Payne, explained that Puntung has been monitored since 2007, and during that time, she has had no contact with other rhinos.
Learn more at the Borneo Rhino Alliance.
Javan rhino calves!
Camera traps in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park spotted 35 Javan rhinos — including five calves!
This video from 2011 shows two Javan rhinos with their calves:
This encouraging news from the Jakarta Globe indicates that these Javan rhinos are breeding – which gives hope for the survival of this critically endangered species.
However, the sex ratio is skewed: Four of the five calves are are males, and only 13 of the 35 Javan rhinos are females.
To help Javan rhinos, check out Operation Javan Rhino.
Indonesia holds the world’s only population of Javan rhinos, as the Vietnamese subspecies of Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) was declared extinct in 2011.
Orphaned rhinos in South Africa
Not only were at least 443 rhinos slaughtered in South Africa last year, many baby rhinos were orphaned.

In an effort to save these young lives, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and rhino rehabilitation expert Karen Trendler have teamed up to form the Rhino Orphan Response Project.
The EWT notes that while some rhino initiatives mean well, they are not always carried out in the calves’ best interest.
While applauding the number of initiatives and projects aimed at stopping the continued carnage, the recent proliferation of so-called ‘calf rescue’ projects does not always fall into the same category. Many exploit rhino calves as marketing and fundraising tools, while humanising and taming them means they cannot be released back into the wild and so require permanent sanctuary.
The Rhino Orphan Response Project aims to rehabilitate calves so they can be released back into the wild.
Learn more about the project here and follow Karen Trendler on Twitter @workingwild.
Greater one-horned rhino in the grass via Shutterstock; tiny rhino calf via Shutterstock.
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Tags: critically endangered species, illegal rhino horn trade, india, indian rhinos, indonesia, javan rhinos, Nepal, rhino poaching, rhinos, sumatran rhinos

About the Author Rhishja Cota-Larson Rhishja is the founder of Annamiticus, a nonprofit organization which provides educational information and news about wildlife crime and endangered species. Rhishja has journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES CoP16 in Bangkok, she joined colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species from economic exploitation. When Rhishja is not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, she enjoys gardening, reading, designing, and rocking out to live music.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Fri, 1 Jul 2016 12:46:00 -0700

Mara to open own bank, says Ismail Sabri

We have not decided on the name for the bank but we have done the preparations and will meet with Bank Negara.

KOTA KINABALU: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) will implement a number of initiatives including opening its own bank.
Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he would hold a meeting with Bank Negara Malaysia on the matter.
“We have not decided on the name for the bank but we have done the preparations and planning,” he said at a ‘Solidariti Kegemilangan Mara Sabah’ event here last night.
He said Mara would also set up its ‘Universiti Majlis Amanah Rakyat (UniMara) this year, with the first student intake in June.
“The university will be established under the Rural Transformation Programme and for a start, 200 students will be accepted into it,” he said.
Ismail Sabri also encouraged Mara entrepreneurs to venture into the field of technology.
“We have centres to provide technical and vocational education training(TVET) besides financing facilities from the government through the ministry,” he said.
Meanwhile, the minister urged Mara and entrepreneurs in Sabah to work together towards finding a paradigm shift to empower entrepreneurship via innovation and creativity.
“If all parties work together, I believe the result would be tremendous and capable of pushing Malaysia into the international entrepreneurship arena,” he said.
– BERNAMA

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 11:31:00 -0700

Nokia’s Malaysia Day sale: Buy one Lumia 530, get another for just RM57

Nokia Malaysia has been running its Malaysia Day sale since September 12th, and today, September 16th is the last day. It is only available at a few outlets, meaning there are limited stocks. With this deal, you can either purchase the Lumia 930, Lumia 1520, Lumia 630, or Lumia 530, and just add another RM57 to get another Lumia 530, saving you RM298.
This is actually an incredibly great deal, if you’re already planning to purchase one of the four Lumias mentioned, especially the Lumia 530. Launched in Malaysia just last month, we’re looking at a quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200 processor that could respectably run the latest Windows Phone 8.1 OS with the Lumia Cyan firmware. At just RM355, it is even cheaper than Nokia X, not to mention the XL.
Except the Lumia 930 and Lumia 530, the other two are already cheaper than their launch prices. The Lumia 630 was launched only four months ago:

Lumia 930: RM1,999

Lumia 1520: RM1,799

Lumia 630: RM499

Lumia 530: RM355

As mentioned, this offer is only available at select Nokia stores, 22 in total:
Kuala Lumpur:

Vlife Communications (Wangsa Walk Mall)

URS Telecommunications (Mines Shopping Center)

Hello Station (Suria KLCC, Low Yat Plaza, Pavilion, The Gardens, Bangar Village II)

Lee Wai Trading (Pertama Complex)

BBS Distributions (Low Yat Plaza)

Selangor:

Hello Station (1 Utama, The Curve, Sunway Pyramid, AEON Bukit Tinggi)

Gadget Boutique (Paradigm Mall)

Amber Channel Trading (Digital Mall)

Others states:

Northern Point (Gurney Plaza)

Speak Phone (Mahkota Parade, AEON Melaka)

Incomm Marketing (AEON Tebrau City)

Tristar Solution Distribution (KBMALL)

Metro Electronics Supplies (Center Point Sabah)

Allied Marketing (Wisma Saberkas)

You can read more about the Nokia Lumia 530 features and specifications here: http://www.techattack.my/16972/nokia-lumia-530-microsofts-cheapest-windows-phone-date-available-soon-malaysia/.
Reuben Thum's love for technology dates as far back as the Sega Master System era when people are still rocking out on an 8-bit "Dixie's Land" chiptune. His gig as a bartender later did not douse his interest for tech one bit, as he then dedicated a few years of his life assisting users to achieve the same love, deep in the bowels of the tech support world. Currently, he just feels weirded out writing about himself from a third person's perspective.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 11:17:00 -0700

6,000 turn up for Walk-a-Breast programme

6,000 turn up for Walk-a-Breast programme
Published on: Monday, May 11, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: More than 6,000 participants came dressed in pink t-shirts to support the 5Km Mother's Day Walk-a-Breast programme here, Sunday. The annual walk for breast cancer awareness brings a sea of pink with participants turning up as early as 6am at the Padang Merdeka, here.
The walk was organised by the Kinabalu Pink Ribbon and held for the fifth time to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer which remains the most common among women affecting all races from the age of 20 and is considered the deadliest among all cancer diseases.
The event was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development and Consumer Affairs and City Hall.
Unlike previous years, the walk this year took place within the city centre, with Padang Merdeka as the starting point all the way to Jesselton Hotel, passing through Capitol Hotel, Wisma Merdeka, Center Point Sabah, Asia City Complex, Tang Dynasty Hotel, Karamunsing Police Station, SRJK © Chung Hwa, Cititel Express, KFC Bandaran and back to Padang Merdeka.
Participants limbered up in an aerobics session prior to being flagged off by the association's patron, Head of State's wife Toh Puan Hajah Norlidah Tan Sri R M Jasni and the association's President Natrah Datuk Mohd Arif at 7am. This time around, Toh Puan Hajah Norlidah together with Natrah and Kinabalu Pink Ribbon's Past President Lucilla Pang joined in and completed the whole 5Km walk.
Also present were Datuk Anita Baranting who represented the Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Datuk Seri Panglima Hj Ahmad Ayid and Datuk Yeo Boon Hai who represented Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir, among others.
Jainab in her speech said the government has always encouraged and welcomed involvement and contributions from both public and private sectors to the Kinabalu Pink Ribbon to enable them to conduct more breast cancer awareness campaigns.
She also applauded the efforts initiated by Kinabalu Pink Ribbon which reaches out to the people through various breast cancer awareness campaigns.
Natrah said breast cancer affects one in every 19 women in their lifetime in Malaysia.
Both men and women are at risk of getting breast cancer, although breast cancer is less common among men than among women.
"Thus, the awareness for early breast cancer detection should be instilled in everyone so that it can be controlled and treated, in line with our slogan ' Kill Cancer, Not People'," she said.
Among the highlights of the event was the Go Bald programme which saw Walter Yong going bald in support of his wife, Babyta Oliver's experience throughout her cancer treatment. She was diagnosed with Stage Three cancer. The married couple's two young children, aged four and five, were also there to show support.
Meanwhile, participants also had the chance to see doctors, nurses and employees from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital form a human pink ribbon symbol of breast cancer awareness.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 09:55:00 -0700

Lahad Datu trial to end on July 25

Tight security at the entrance of Kepayan prison during the Sulu gunmen trial in Kota Kinabalu on Monday. - NORMIMIE DIUN/The Star

KOTA KINABALU: The 30-month trial of the 14 people accused of various charges in connection with the Lahad Datu village intrusion will end on July 25.
The accused including a Malaysian will know their fate when High Court judge Justice Stephen Chung delivers his judgment over two days from that day.
Justice Chung fixed those dates after hearing submissions here from Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar and defence counsel Datuk N. Sivananthan and Abdul Ghani Zelika on Monday.
The charges against the 13 Filipino nationals were framed under Section 121 of the Penal Code for waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Section 130E for recruiting persons to be members of a terrorist group.
The other charges were under Section 130K for harbouring persons committing terrorist acts and Section 130KA for being member of a terrorist group.
Among the 13 were Atik Hussin Abu Bakar, Basad Manuel, Habil Suhaili, Timhar Hadil and Ismail Yasin. Habil died in April.
Others were Virgilio Ne-Mar Patulada @ Mohammad Alam Patulada, Basil Samuel, Salib Akhmad Emali, Al Wazir Osman @ Abdul,Abd Hadi Mawan, Tani Lahad Dahi, Julham Rashid, Datu Amirbahar Hushin Kiram and Norhaida Ibnahi, the sole female accused.
The Malaysian on trial with them was Abdul Hadi Mawan who was charged under Section 130KA of the Penal Code for being a member of a terrorist group.
All the charges were in connection with the armed intrusion of the seaside village of Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu in February 2013.
In his submission, Sivananthan argued that the evidence in court during the course of the trial showed there were grounds for the acquittal as there were doubts in the prosecution’s case.
He said there were discrepancies in the transcripts of the recorded telephone conversations of the accused.
Sivananthan, who represented the 13 Filipino nationals, said the prosecution also failed to link the telephones allegedly used by some of the accused by not producing the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of these devices as part of the evidence.
He said confessions given by most of the accused to a Sessions Court judge soon after their arrests three years ago was consistent in that they were tricked into coming into Sabah during the intrusion led by Agbimuddin Kiram, the brother of the self-styled Sulu sultan.
“They were duped into coming to Sabah with false promises of identity cards and jobs. When they got here and realised something was amiss, they were prevented from leaving,” Sivananthan said.
Earlier, Mohd Dusuki said the evidence adduced in court showed that the accused knew what they were doing in Sabah.
He said the accused also played a role in facilitating the skirmishes with Malaysian security forces personnel in Tanduo and Semporna between February and March, 2013.
“The accused claimed that they were cheated into coming to Sabah for a job and to get Malaysian documents but their actions suggest that they knew what they were here for,” Mohd Dusuki said.
“They came to Malaysia to wage a war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the government of this country” he added.
Mohd Dusuki said no matter how minor the role the accused played in the intrusion, they nevertheless should be held equally responsible for the incident.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 09:54:00 -0700

19 illegals detained in Tawau

TAWAU: The Tawau Immigration Department detained 19 illegal immigrants, including three children, in an integrated operation with Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) yesterday.
Tawau Immigration chief Noraini Rasi said the illegals comprising men (13), women (three) and children (three), aged five to 45 years, were detained in two separate operations in Jalan Apas and Kunak.
"The operation began at 10 pm and ended at 1 am focused on plantations and squatter areas, as well as villages," she said in a statement here today.
Noraini said the operation would continue daily until Aidilfitri.
In LAHAD DATU, the Marine Police Force (PPM) detained seven Filipinos attempting to enter Malaysia illegally at 5.50 am in an operation, dubbed Op Gelora, in the Felda Sahabat 16 waters.
"The PPM team detained a boat, skippered by a 16-year-old youth, from Kampung Sepangkut, Philippines. Further inspection found six men lying low in the boat to avoid detection," said Sabah Region PPM commander, ACP Mohàmmad Madun in a statement today.
He said all the men, aged 16 to 31 years, did not have any travel document. — Bernama

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 13:07:00 -0700

Warisan Harta Sabah Group Presents RM1.27 Million Business Tithe To Sabah Zakat Centre

Sabah NewsWarisan Harta Sabah Group Presents RM1.27 Million Business Tithe To Sabah Zakat Centre

KOTA KINABALU, June 20 (Bernama) -- The Warisan Harta Sabah Group (WHS) today handed over business tithe amounting to RM1.27 million to the Sabah Zakat Centre.

WHS chairman Datuk Ramlee Marahaban said the amount was a cumulation of contributions from WHS including its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, namely Common Tower Technologies Sdn Bhd, Angkatan Hebat Sdn Bhd and Celcom Timur Sabah Sdn Bhd.
"For last year, WHS Group managed to achieve a strong financial performance and this is conveyed through our zakat contribution today," he said in his speech at the presentation and breaking of fast ceremony organised by the company here, today.
The presentation of the business tithe to Sabah Islamic Religious Council president, Datuk Mohamad Suhaili Said was witnessed by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
Ramlee expressed confidence that the zakat contribution would increase in future in line with the group's corporate social responsibility programme framework and excellent performance of its subsidiaries and affiliated companies which were constantly monitored.
-- BERNAMA

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Sat, 25 Jun 2016 11:15:00 -0700

Spike in Sabah food prices

Sabahans are hit hardest by rising food prices, higher than even Sarawakians and West Malaysians.

PETALING JAYA: Rising food prices, though a bane to Malaysians all over, has hit Sabahans the hardest, noted the World Bank in its most recent report.
According to its Malaysia Economic Monitor (MEM): Smart Cities November 2011 report, high inflation meant that Sabahans would spend more of their income on food than even Sarawakians and West Malaysians.
According to the report, “Sabah residents are more heavily hit than those in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak because Sabah residents not only faced relatively high food inflation, but they also generally spend a higher share of their income on food items.”
The report added that Sabahans spent 27.5% of their income on food items, compared to 23.2% for Sarawakians and 19.2% for West Malaysians.
Sabahans were not the only ones heavily-affected by food inflation.
According to the report, rural West Malaysians were more likely to spend “proportionally more on foods which recorded steep price rises” than they did on housing and public utilities.
Citing an example, it noted that Malaysian households that earned less than RM500 a month spent nearly a third of their income on food, compared to nine percent for households with RM5,000 monthly incomes.
It does not help that Sabah, according to a previous FMT report, had the highest rates of poverty in the country.
The article quoted last year’s MEM report which noted that “more than 40% of all poor people in Malaysia lived in Sabah”.
The report also quoted its World Bank East Asia and Pacific Region Human Development Sector director Emmmanuel Jimenez as saying that there were “deep pockets of poverty” in Sabah.
Subsidy slash and policy changes
The situation it appears has seen little improvement. It has also not helped that the average salaries had increased by only 1.9% since the 1997 economic crisis.
The rise in food prices, the latest World Bank report said, was in part, affected by government policy changes, such as subsidy cuts.
“Some of the price hikes are policy-induced, eg. price subsidy cuts for sugar, fuels and gas and excise duty hike for cigarettes,” the report said.
It added that other factors such as bad weather – including excessive rains – also affected the price of vegetables.
These factors caused food items such as fresh vegetables, seafood and meat to see a respective inflation of 7.1%, 7.4% and 8.5%.
The highest inflations, according to the report, were in items such as potatoes, coconuts and nuts (considered as one) as well as sugar.
They each recorded inflations of 14.3%, 18.1% and 25.8% respectively.
“All major food items except rice and fresh fish registered significant price increases,” it said.
The report also noted that overall goods and services was also up by 3.1%.
Earlier in June, the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) confirmed that consumer prices would rise following the government’s move to slash subsidies.
It anticipated a 3.3% inflation this year, and a 3.5% increase between 2012 and 2015.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Sat, 25 Jun 2016 11:14:00 -0700

Social media to promote Sabah food to the world

KOTA KINABALU: The Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry will use the social media to promote Sabah’s local food to the world this May.
Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming said in tandem with the current technological development, the ministry, through the Sabah Tourism Board (STB), had intensified Sabah tourism promotions through the online world.
“For the domestic market, STB will use the services of well-known blogger David Hogan Junior to run a social media campaign for ten months starting in May to promote Sabah through its local food using social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook,” said Pang at the 14th Sabah State Legislative sitting yesterday.
He revealed this in response to Banggi assemblyman Abdul Mijul Unaini’s question on the ministry’s plans to ensure the tourism industry’s continued contribution towards the state revenue.
According to Pang, STB had also established an online presence in China through the same strategy. Its Sina Weibo account currently has more than 98,000 followers, while its STB WeChat account has more than 5,000 followers.
The assistant minister said STB would also work with China’s influential mobile phone application company, Baidu.com, which with 45 million users is the largest search engine in the country.
In addition, STB will also carry out joint campaigns on the social media with Ctrip.com, China’s largest online travel booking company, which has some 141 million members.
“To ensure the state’s tourism sector remains competitive in the future, the cooperation of all parties is required.
“Therefore, I call on all tourism operators and local authorities to emphasize on sustainable development and ensure cleanliness to ensure the existing products, especially those based on the natural environment, are maintained and preserved,” emphasized Pang.
STB is also using the electronic media platforms such as television as a medium to promote Sabah, said the assistant minister.
For the Singapore market, STB had helped MediaCorp to carry out the filming of 30-episode drama series in Sabah.
The series is currently being broadcast on Singapore’s Channel 8 and Astro (324 and 307), which will air till the end of April.
“As more than 80 percent of the drama filming location was in Sabah, this effort will indirectly increase awareness and interest of the audience,” said Pang.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 19:22:00 -0700

JCI KK launches Outstanding Young Person Sabah Award

Tawfiq receiving the Outstanding Young Person of Sabah programme from JCI presi-dent Ng Tze Ek. KOTA KINABALU: All nominations for the Junior Chamber International Kota Kinabalu (JCI KK) Outstanding Young Person of Sabah 2016 will be scrutinized by a team of prominent and diverse judges, headed by Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Haji Tawfiq Datuk Haji Abu Bakar Titingan.
Junior Chamber International Kota Kinabalu president Neelkrish Perumal and committee members of the project paid a courtesy visit to the minister on Thursday to launch the flagship project.
The briefing was also attended by the ministry’s permanent secretary Haji Awang Damit Awang Anak.
“JCI KK gives its sincere thanks to Datuk Tawfiq and his office for the meeting,” Perumal said.
The Outstanding Young Person of Sabah (TOYPS) is an award organized by the JCI KK to recognize young Sabahan and Malaysian individuals in Sabah who have dedicated themselves to the progress or welfare of the community at large.
There are many young Sabahan and Malaysian individuals that have excelled in their field of profession, practice and endeavor.
Some are known by the public but some have excelled in obscurity making them unsung heroes of their field.
The main objective of TOYPS organised by JCI KK is to recognize both these groups of individuals.
“TOYPS is endorsed and supported by the Sabah Ministry of Youth and Sports. Great hope and endeavour are invested in this project in order to achieve its three main objectives.”
Firstly, to accord recognition to young Sabahan and Malaysian individuals in Sabah whose dedication to their profession or life undertakings has resulted in the progress or welfare of the community (Sabah, Malaysia and the World) and the advancement of their respective field.
Secondly, to create public awareness and give recognition to outstanding achievements, thereby inspiring young Malaysian to greater heights with selfless dedication for the development of the community.
Thirdly, to promote a variety of industries in Sabah with the goal of contributing towards national development and growth.
In pursuit of recognizing these individuals, TOYPS adopts 10 categories: business, economic or entrepreneurial accomplishment political, legal and government affairs, academic leadership and accomplishment, cultural achievement, moral and religious leadership, contribution to children, world peace, nature or human rights, humanitarian and voluntary services, scientific and technological development, personal improvement and sports accomplishment and medical innovation.
“There are many individuals who have excelled that we have no knowledge of and thus, JCI KK relies on public feedback on this matter. Members of the public are encouraged to exercise their social responsibility by nominating the individuals that deserve this coveted award. Nominations are for individuals between the age of 15 and 40,” explained Perumal.
He said the winner of the TOYPS award would receive a customized trophy and would be nominated to the The Outstanding Young Malaysian (TOYM) Award in 2017.
For more information, please visit JCI KK website at jcikk.org/toyps or contact JCI KK.
The following are contact numbers of TOYPS team members such as Vitalis Ronald (010 987 8468), Ng Tze Ek (016 847 4011), Wendy Chan (017 309 0525) and Patrick Teo (016 588 6896).
Submission of nominations must reach JCI Kota Kinabalu by July 31.
The results of the nomination will be announced and an Award Gala Night will be held to present these awards to the winners of the TOYPS 2016 in September 2016.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 19:21:00 -0700

248 New Sabahan Teachers For Sabah Schools

Sabah News248 New Sabahan Teachers For Sabah Schools

KOTA KINABALU, June 13 (Bernama) -- A total of 248 new Sabahan teachers today receive appointment letters placing them in primary schools throughout the state.

Sabah Education director Maimunah Suhaibul said 210 of them were English teachers and 38 were Islamic Studies teachers who were interviewed in 2015.
"These new teachers were among 576 students from Sabah, graduates of Institute of Teacher Education (IPGM) last year, while the remaining 328 will receive their letters this August," she said while presenting appointment letters at Wisma Jabatan Pendidikan Sabah, here Monday.
The placement of Sabahan teachers in the state was in line with the recommendations of the government that 90 per cent of teachers in Sabah and Sarawak were locals.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when announcing this last year said the government had set a target of 90 per cent of teachers comprising Sabahans and Sarawakians within three years via first phase of the devolution of power for both states.
The percentage of local teachers in national primary schools was 81 per cent while for national secondary schools was at 74 per cent.
Maimunah hopes that all the new teachers would accept their placements gratefully and be ready to carry out their responsibility as educators.
"They must be thankful and ready to face the challenges. The placement is done according to the needs of the school."
Meanwhile, Jessica Rine Alphonsus, an English teacher from Panampang, Sabah, who was placed at SK Pekan Pensiangan, Nabawan said she was excited to be placed in the school located in the Sabah interior, 20 kilometres from the border with Kalimantan, Indonesia.
"I had requested to be placed in this school due to my interest in teaching in remote areas when studying at IPGM in Penang. I had the opportunity to teach at Sekolah Kebangsaan Lubok Antu, Sarawak.
"It was there that I saw the big difference between urban and rural schools. I hope to reduce these differences, especially in the teaching of English."
-- BERNAMA

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 08:41:00 -0700

A backpacker’s adventure in Kota Kinabalu

“Kota Kinabalu? Where’s that?!” A friend had asked when I’d told them where I was going.
Some of us might associate the Eastern Malaysian state of Sabah with the first season of “Survivor”—namely, Pulau Tiga island. But as far as infrequent flyers like me were concerned, Kota Kinabalu was definitely uncharted territory, and therefore, a choice destination for an adventure.
Together with fellow writers, I recently hied off to KK to take part in the annual Cebu Pacific Media Backpackers’ Challenge. Ten contestants were divided into teams of two, with each team named after a popular destination in Sabah. The Daily Tribune’s Deni Afinidad and I made up Team Kinabatangan, representing Malaysia’s river-region known for its lush wildlife.
The mechanics were simple: Visit as many places and do as many activities as you can with the least amount of money. Each team was given a budget of RM1,000 (about P14,000) to spend for three full days, including accommodation and transportation expenses. Canon Philippines also lent us their latest point-and-shoot and DSLR cameras to document our entire trip.
DAY 1: History lessons and a rainy river cruise
The kick-off point was at the Sabah Tourism Board, one of the last three surviving buildings from the pre-WWII era, and the “0 km” marker in front represented the point from which all distances in KK were measured. It’s right smack in the middle of Gaya Street, where a good number of reputable backpacker hostels and budget-friendly dining establishments were located, so it was a good area to start getting acquainted with the city.
KK, I daresay, is a lot like Manila in many ways. Most of the locals either know a little Tagalog, or originally hailed from our country, so the language barrier doesn’t really pose a problem. After wandering for a couple of hours, we realized a lot of the tourist attractions were only accessible via taxi, ferry, or rented transportation, and that we’d only waste precious time learning how to commute.
We decided we were better off with a package tour, since it included a guide, meals and transportation. There were lots of tour operator agencies in Wisma Sabah building, just beside Gaya Centre Hotel (the official “home base” for the challenge). There, we met Mary Lopez, a KK-based Pinay who works for Only In Borneo Tours, and she gladly helped us maximize our limited budget and timetable using the available tour packages.
Because the weather was a bit unpredictable for island-hopping and beach activities, we passed up on Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (a cluster of five islands), Pulau Tiga, and diving hotspots like Sipadan Island in favor of more accessible tourist attractions.
While waiting, we reserved beds at a backpacker’s hostel in Gaya Street so we could unload our backpacks. We then took a quick taxi ride to the Sabah State Museum complex, located about 15 minutes from the city.
We booked the afternoon Klias River Cruise in Kuala Penyu, a two-hour drive south of KK. Aboard an 80-ft-long house boat called “Kunang-Kunang” (which means “fireflies”), we cruised down Klias River and tried to spot the proboscis monkeys among the trees.
After a dinner buffet spread that included tasty grilled lamb chops, we tried our hand at fishing, where you can opt to have your catch cooked for you to enjoy or release back into the river. Come evening, the lights on the boat were turned off for the “firefly show.” The soft twinkling scattered all around us made the whole swamp look like an upside-down night sky. Beautiful.
DAY 2: Culture, adventure and water-related torture
Our first stop of the day was white-water rafting in Kiulu River, about 1 ½ hours north of KK. Neither of us had tried any form of extreme sports before, but we were reassured that the river was “friendly” enough for first-timers.
Apparently, falling overboard was an unspoken rite of passage of sorts. When our raft “accidentally” capsized for the first time, it was such an exhilarating experience, and we came up sputtering and happy. But the second time, we slammed headlong into a wall of rock and the raft fell on top of me. The adrenaline rush was still there, but when half the river is in your lungs and the other half sloshing around in your sinuses, you couldn’t help losing your appetite for daredevil stunts altogether.
The two-hour tour ended with a free lesson on body rafting, which was basically floating face-up and letting the current take you downstream. This tour was hands-down the highlight of our trip, but at that point, I was only too happy to stay on dry land for the rest of our stay.
For the second tour, we set off for Mari-Mari Cultural Village in Inanam to check out where (and how) the five main tribes in Sabah had lived. We sampled authentic rice wine, fresh honey, and local delicacies like kuih jala (fried lacy crepes).
When we got back to KK, we set out to do a mini-food trip. We walked to Handicraft Market (also known as Filipino Market, since many of the hawkers there are Pinoy) to try some local snacks, and had a late dinner near Kampung Air Night Market, a dampa/food court that serves every kind of local viand imaginable.
Our must-try list: roti kahwin with teh tarik or “pulled tea”; bak kut teh (meat bone soup); kopi tarik (tea/coffee drink) and kaya toast at Fook Yuen coffee shop; Tenom coffee; coconut pudding; barbecued chicken wings; and of course, the fresh seafood—stingray curry, baby octopus, giant prawns, and buttered lobsters.
But the undisputed #1 item on our list would be Beryl’s chocolates, a local brand that everyone who’s been to KK is raving about and craving for.
DAY 3: Nature tripping and marathon trekking
Climbing the famous Mt. Kinabalu sounded very exciting, but a tour would take about two full days and we didn’t have the time, money or stamina for it at this point. We instead explored Kinabalu National Park, Malaysia’s first Unesco World Heritage site, which was several hours away from KK by bus. We first visited the park’s Botanical Garden, where our tour guide showed us the world’s smallest orchid and other rare flora.
We were lucky enough to stumble upon a Rafflesia site, which wasn’t part of the actual tour. Giant Rafflesias bloom for only about a week and we were told they weren’t in season, but we couldn’t pass up the chance to see (and smell) a “corpse flower.” We gladly paid a whopping RM30 each just to go through the tangle of trees and mud and witness a rare natural wonder.
The Canopy Walkway tour involved going up and down the foot of the mountain, which was pretty challenging for people like me who were chained to a desk 24/7. Good thing I’d packed my comfy Vibram FiveFingers shoes, which made the long trek a whole lot more bearable.
We would’ve loved to soak our aching joints in the Poring Hot Springs, but the tour bus had to leave for KK. And, just when we thought we’d never see the sunset or the peak of Mt. Kinabalu, the rain mercifully stopped long enough for us to enjoy a fleeting but precious glimpse of both.
Second place!
With a total of 46 activities on a budget of around RM350, first place went to Team Kinabalu, made up of Manila Standard’s Joba Botana and Letsgosago.net’s Jonel Uy (whose team also got first place last year). They were awarded three open round-trip tickets per person to any international Cebu Pacific destination, plus a 4D/3N package to KK. Our Team Kinabatangan came in second, with a total of 55 activities on an RM945 budget, and we were each awarded two tickets to any international destination.
It was a close race, but in the end, we were all quite happy with our prizes; after all, no team went home empty handed. Considering this was our first time in KK, I’d say we experienced much more than what we’d actually spent for.
Special thanks to Cebu Pacific, Sabah Tourism Board, Tourism Malaysia, Canon Philippines, Stratworks, Mhay Rondael and Mary Lopez of Only In Borneo Tours.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 08:37:00 -0700

Sabah to host World Hakka Unicorn meet

Sabah to host World Hakka Unicorn meet
Published on: Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Sabah will once again play host to an international event when over 40 Hakka Unicorn Dance troupes from all over the world convene here for the first ever Sabah World Hakka Unicorn Convention 2015 at the end of the month. According to its Organising Chairman, Dr Danny Kok, the convention will be the first of its kind in the world and it aims to bring together all the Hakka unicorn troupes from all over the world to preserve and empower the traditional art of the Hakkas.
"One of the main objectives of the convention is to discuss among all the troupe masters to find out the origin of the Hakka unicorn, what is the true story behind it, what is the real design and all these historic things.
"When we have established these historical facts, we will then compile our findings and submit it to the Hakka Cultural Centre so that the future generations will be able to learn the history of the beautiful art of Hakka unicorn," said Kok.
He said this when paying a courtesy visit on Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir at his office, here, to officially invite the Mayor to become the Guest of Honour during the flag-off ceremony of the Convention Parade from Gaya Centre Hotel to Oceanus Waterfront Mall on March 27.
According to Kok, the Hakka Unicorn Dance community has yet to establish the actual facts and history of the Unicorn dance and hoped that through the convention, many answers about the ancient art can be answered, before the committee moves on to hosting future conventions and set new resolutions.
"This convention will not be a one-off event as we have many more plans in the pipeline, all aimed at preserving, spreading, teaching and promoting the Hakka unicorn dance not just in our country, but throughout the world.
"The convention will also see two Malaysian records being set where we will have the largest unicorn head made in the traditional way of bamboo as well as the largest number of unicorn heads in one single performance," said Kok.
During the courtesy visit, Madingkir thanked Kok and his committee for bringing the convention to Sabah and specifically, Kota Kinabalu, as the convention will also assist the State Government in promoting and boosting Sabah's tourism industry.
"As we know, the number of Chinese tourists coming in to Sabah has been declining and through this event, we can regain their confidence to visit Kota Kinabalu once again.
"I would like to commend Dr Danny Kok for his efforts in organising a world event to preserve the cultural heritage of the Hakka community and at the same time help contribute towards Kota Kinabalu's development," said the Mayor.
The convention will be held at the Oceanus Waterfront Mall on March 27-28, starting with a parade of all the participants from Gaya Centre Hotel to Oceanus Waterfront Mall on the first day, followed by the official launching ceremony.
Some 88 Hakka Unicorn troupes will then assemble at Oceanus Waterfront Mall to attempt to set the Malaysian Record for the biggest number of unicorn head performance.
Among the participating countries are China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines and Taiwan, where Beijing will also be sending a special lion dance troupe from their National Dragon and Lion Dance Department.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 07:23:00 -0700

Homelite upbeat with boom town prospects of Kimanis

Aerial view of the Kimanis Commercial Project at night. MIRI: The sales launch of the Kimanis Commercial Project yesterday drew an encouraging response from property buyers and investors here.
This is due to the fact that quiet town of Kimanis will soon experience a bustling transformation as key players of the oil and gas industry make their mark there.
Developed by New Kimanis Town Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Homelite Development Sdn Bhd, the commercial project spans 30 acres of prime commercial land.
Earmarked by the Sabah state government, the Kimanis Commercial Project will ride the wave of oil and gas offshore projects on the west coast of Sabah.
These include Sabah-Sarawak Integrated Oil and Gas Project (SSIOGP), which comprises oil and gas fields offshore Sabah, the Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT) and the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline (SSGP).
Other key downstream projects include the highly anticipated the 300MW gas-fired Kimanis Power Plant and the Lahad Datu Power Plant, as well as the Sabah Ammonia and Urea Project (SAMUR), which upon completion, will be the biggest of its kind in South-east Asia.
With the construction of SOGT and SSGP, the Sabah State Government hopes to see Kimanis becoming a new oil town in the likes of Miri, Bintulu and Kerteh.
Having 11 trillion cubic feet of gas and 1.5 billion barrels of oil in reserves in North Borneo, Sabah exported almost 14 billion ringgit of crude oil last year which formed almost 40 per cent of all of the state’s exports and also anticipated increase in oil production in the coming three decades.
Kimanis, which is located about 58 km from Kota Kinabalu, is set to be developed into a new township comprising houses, shops and commercial complexes, banks, hotels, restaurants, clinics, training schools to produce skilled engineering workers, a flying school for pilots, a deepwater port and an airport with hangars for helicopters which fly workers to oil rigs.
“I am very confident in the success of this township development as it is a joint effort of Sabah State Government and Petronas, the wealthiest private company in the nation,” said Wong Su Chung, managing director of Homelite Development Sdn Bhd.
Realising the growth potential, 90 per cent of the Phase 1 shop lots of the Kimanis Commercial Project has been snapped up by investors as of yesterday.
Expected to be completed by mid of next year, Phase 1 comprised six units of three-storey corner lots and 69 units of two-storey intermediate lots which will appeal to businessmen.
And after the success of Phase 1, buyers are to flocking to Phase 2, which will have bigger retail space with 22 four-storey corner units and 87 three-storey intermediate units to be completed by end of 2016.
Furthermore, a shopping mall is part of the grand proposal together with a proposed hotel and a service apartment that will capitalise on growing workforce nearby Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal and trainees of the Kimanis Petroleum Training Centre who converge in Kimanis for work and training.
A two-storey food court will also be one of the main features.
The roads around the new Kimanis town will too be wider, to provide easier traffic flow, easing congestion during peak hours.
Hence, developer New Kimanis Town Sdn Bhd is set to make its mark in the Sabah market and bring a creative and fervent difference to the local market.
The company is confident in its expansion in this northern Borneo state and welcomes investors to this great opportunity to be part of the new Kimanis township.
Further information can be obtained by calling 085-680555, 013-8517755 or visit the company’s office at Lot 10633, Airport Commercial Centre, located on same block as MASwings office along Airport Road Miri.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 07:14:00 -0700

Man who hid syabu in tea bagged

Hiding place: Janathan (left) holding the seized syabu concealed inside a packet of Chinese tea.

KOTA KINABALU: Hiding a kilogram of syabu inside a packet of Chinese tea placed inside a briefcase was not enough to get a 20-year-old drug trafficker past customs at the international airport here.
The suspect underwent a random inspection where his briefcase was scanned upon arrival from Kuala Lumpur on May 19, said Sabah Customs department director Datuk Janathan Kandok.
“When our men scanned the briefcase, they spotted the packet and found the syabu packed inside the Chinese tea packet,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
The street value of the syabu was around RM500,000.
Janathan said they were now investigating the suspect and his connections with drug trafficking groups.
“We are not sure if the drugs were meant for the Sabah market,” he said, adding that they were also checking if the suspect was involved in other trips into the state for drug trafficking activities.
Investigations are being carried out under the Section 39B of Dangerous Drugs Act which carried the mandatory death sentence if found guilty by the courts.
Janathan said that since 2012, Sabah Customs have arrested 21 people for trafficking in various types of illicit drugs worth nearly RM14mil at the Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau airports.
He said of the 21 arrested, six were women. Twelve of them were Malaysians while the rest were foreigners.
He said nine of them have been convicted and the cases of 12 others were pending in the courts.
Janathan also urged the public to not be unduly alarmed by the presence of sniffer dogs at the airport.
“We are aware that some people feel uncomfortable but these dogs are carrying out their duties,” he added.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 07:13:00 -0700

Sabah's Grand Dame of Art still surprises at 99!

Sabah's Grand Dame of Art still surprises at 99!
Published on: Thursday, June 16, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: The launch of the book on the Hoya plant species in Borneo at Hyatt Kinabalu on Tuesday had a pleasant surprise when artist and educationist Tina Rimmer showed up, being an invited guest. The Keembong Room erupted with cheers, forcing publisher of "Hoyas of Borneo" Datuk CL Chan to halt his speech halfway to announce the presence of the frail but still agile Tina at 99!
"I would like to acknowledge somebody who is very special, who doesn't really come to occasions like this anymore.
She first came to North Borneo in 1949 as the first British North Borneo woman Education Officer and is the author of several books such as "A Life on Two Islands", "The Tamaparuli Tamu: A Sabah Market", etc."
Chan then announced that "she is also going celebrate her 99th birthday very soon and I would like all of you to sing her a very birthday song!"
Sang they did even though two weeks in advance.
Chan also said he would be writing to Buckingham Palace to inform the Queen to sign a letter and send it to her (Tina).
Buckingham Palace has a department which sends congratulation letters from the monarch to centenarians and they normally do it several months before the 100th birthday. The Queen, herself, turned 90 recently.
When asked how she managed to beat the Queen by nine years, Tina said: "I think the secret is to find an interest in life."
Tina has done close to 1,000 paintings to her credit, including a 192-page book featuring 550 portraits of palliative care patients that was praised for "bringing out the inner beauty of the children" and reflects her intense dedication to the people of Sabah.
Asked what exactly she meant by "interest in life", besides painting, she said: "Interest in people and your surroundings in general."
Did diet play a role in her longevity?
"No, it's not a matter of diet, it's a matter of wanting to see what's happening tomorrow!!" she laughed in her characteristic "ha ha ha".
What about exercise then? "No, normal exercise, walking yes. One thing is to have good parents.
That's the Number One thing – to have good parents. That's Number One absolutely.
DE: Why do you say that?
Tina: One thing is the physical part, because you got to have a body that functions.
DE: You mean genetics ?
Tina: Yes , Genetics. Then loving parents, you got to have loving parents who are interested in their children what they do, what they are interested in life in general, give guidance and have standards you know.
Asked why she decided to stay on long after British North Borneo became Sabah under Malaysia, she said:
"I got married to a man Bert Rimmer who wanted to stay back. So, I stayed back."
For the record, Tina bought a five-acre piece native land near the famed Tamparuli bridge with the intention of having a Arts centre set up there during her lifetime to promote indigenous artists, as her gift to the people of Sabah.
However, the centre had yet to materialise despite 30 years and several public pledges since the ownership in trust was passed to ex-Museum Director Patricia Regis.
Tina's relatives in the United Kingdom had also expressed concern that her wishes should be honoured.
Daily Express understands that the Lands and Surveys Department was aware of the history of the land and had no objections to a caveat on it to ensure that the purpose that Tina had intended it for was fulfilled in future but the State Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry must officially request for it.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 11:19:00 -0700

My true story

I thought a few questions during this time, it's really time thief really time it often takes something from us, recently I was watching the movie Alice in the wonderland of this story made me look at what has happened in the past.
Sometimes time was difficult to catch or stop it as what has happened in my past I worked as assistant manager of food and beverage at a resort in Sabah, the resort is located in mengatal for better known as whooping haven resort actually I enjoy working here know.
But I only have experience as an F / B Supervisor at ming garden hotel and resident, quite frankly I can not hold this position very well and only survived for two weeks because this is not only shameful but I also make my boss disappointed with myself.
This disappointment down with my work as a nigh audit in a 2-star hotel, all the work I always learn more deeply and will only re-enter after the performance I reached the top of my knowledge and what I want.
As long as I learn something new about the food and beverage although the level is now somewhat better than before but to come back like before is indeed very difficult so before we try to hold larger make sure we really are ready and have sufficient experience ,
Although I am confident of being able to stand back as before but the price we have to pay very large indeed is one thing that I learned when've lost something we will get something.

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 12:23:00 -0700

Soujourn in blue sabah

Malaysian state's beauty spots continue to attract Chinese despite air disasters.
For those who like the sun and sea and enjoy cultural heritage, Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the state of Sabah in Malaysia, is one of the better choices.
Although the country's tourism industry has been affected by the two tragedies of Malaysia Airlines this year, many Chinese are still visiting Sabah for its picturesque views, delicious seafood and hospitable people.
According to Tourism Malaysia, from January to July, tourist arrivals from the Chinese mainland totalled 997,370, a decline of 11.8 percent compared with the same period last year.
"Our tour was a perfect getaway from work. We enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and beaches, the fantastic scenic spots, and met with interesting local people and tourists. It's a memory that we will cherish forever," says Wu Yehua, 25, who visited Malaysia with seven colleagues during China's National Day holiday. She works in a foreign company in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.
The easiest way to start one's adventure in the city is to have a one- or two-day tour arranged by one of the local tourism agencies, who know best about the scenic spots and local culture, and will provide transportation and take care of the visitors.
You mustn't miss the UNESCO World Heritage Kinabalu Park, dominated by the 4,095-meter high Mount Kinabalu, where there is a wide range of habitats, such as rich tropical lowland and tropical mountain forests. It also has a variety of animals and plants.
It takes two days to climb the mountain, and most tourists would join a daily tour. You should have some medicine for carsickness for just in case, because the two and a half hour mountain road journey is windy.
If you're lucky, you can see Rafflesia keithii, which can grow up to 1 meter in diameter. It will only blossom after it has grown 18 months, but its flowering phase lasts only seven days.
My friends and I paid 30 ringgit ($9.20) a person to see one flower in full blossom and several round buds. The flower is also called "corpse flower" because it smells like rotten flesh. The odor attracts insects such as flies, and we saw several flies fly into the hollow pistils and not getting out.
For the second day, you can take a speedboat to the Kilas Wetlands to see forests on the water, crocodiles and the famous long-nosed monkeys on the trees. There are fireflies glowing in the woods in the evening, and you can have fresh seafood at cheap prices when you return to the town.
Our next destination was Pulau Mantanai Besar (the Big Mermaid Island). It's advisable to make a reservation because the island's capacity for tourists is limited. We stayed one night in a cozy cottage, and enjoyed both sunset and sunrise out on the beach.
During the day, the guide took us on a speedboat to a snorkeling spot to see the colorful fishes, starfish and corals in the sea.
Safe swimsuits and fins are available. It's better to take along one's own snorkeling equipment for hygiene reasons, because they are not sold on the island and the guides offer only shared ones.
We explored the magic of the underwater world freely, played with the clownfish and other fishes that you see in the Hollywood blockbuster Finding Nemo, and recorded those indelible moments with GoPro, a waterproof camera that can capture still photos or video through a wide-angle lens.
We returned to the island for a buffet lunch of local dishes in the open air and had a two-hour refreshing rest before heading for the next snorkeling spot.
Visitors stretched out on beach chairs or hammocks to enjoy the picturesque view of the coastline, swam, deep dived, and rowed canoes in the sea.
In the evening, the guide took us to look for "blue tear" or "blue sand" on the beach. These are a kind of seed shrimps that glow blue in the dark, just like fireflies. They get to the shore by riding the tide and survive for no more than 100 seconds.
The peak season of blue tears on the island is from November to February. You are lucky if you get to see the beach dotted with beautiful luminous blue spots, like shining meteors in the sky.
We were disappointed when we arrived at the shore, because it started to rain cats and dogs. But we still wanted to see the blue tears. We turned off the light on our mobile screens and flashlights, because blue tears won't appear if there's light.
Fortunately, we saw a few blue spots sprinkled on the shore, and when we dug our hands into the sand, we saw more hidden blue tears twinkling and disappearing quickly.
The 45-minute speedboat journey back to Kota Kinabalu was like an exciting ride in an amusement park because of the strong wind in the sea. The boat tilted to the right and left from time to time and sea-water washed over us.
Those who want to enjoy parasailing and banana-boat riding can go to the city's ferry terminal and take a boat to nearby small islands such as Sapi or Manukan. You can also go deep diving or snorkeling there and see fishes that are different from those at the Big Mermaid Island. Don't forget to wear water shoes to prevent cuts from the reefs in the sea.
Xulin@chinadaily.com.cn

Pulau Mantanai Besar are three isolated islands located northwest of Kota Belud, about an hour's drive from the state capital of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu. Photos by Xu Lin / China Daily

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 12:22:00 -0700

Life of villagers changed forever

Norhaya and her husband Abd Jabbar Bavotty were lost with words after seeing their ruined sundry shop and house at Kampung Tanjung Labian, yesterday. LAHAD DATU: Just a month ago, Siti Aminah Hiya thought her life would finally change for the better.
The 21-year-old housewife said her husband, Jong Jong Yusuf, 41, was eager to try out their brand new boat to fish, a plan which they believed could help earn the extra cash to feed the family.
“We just bought a boat, an engine and a pump lamp after getting my loan of RM1,500 from Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia approved last month,” she said, adding that installments were set at RM34 per week.
But their joy was short-lived when armed intruders were spotted in their village, Kampung Tanjung Labian, earlier this month.
“We left so hastily. Everyone left with the clothes we had on our bodies. All I could think of at the time was to grab my 16-month-old daughter, Siti Norasmawati, and a flask,” she said recalling the conflict between the Malaysian security forces and the intruders.
Siti Aminah and her family were first placed at the Embara Budi evacuation centre, but when the number of evacuees swelled, they had to be shifted to Gemala Pura.
After leaving home, she has not gone back yet.
“That is why I was so excited when told that we would be taken to make damage assessments of our houses yesterday.
“We heard from those at the evacuation centre that some houses had been badly destroyed or burnt. I just hope that it would not happen to me.”

A Kampung Tanjung Batu resident searching for salvageable items at his house which was destroyed in the gunfight with the foreign intruders. But Siti Aminah was in for a surprise when her house, which was built nearby her parents and siblings’, had turned to ashes.
In fact, the whole family lost their homes.
“I could not help but cry. I am sad that my home and future are crushed,” she said, wiping the tears that started rolling down her cheeks.
Not only have they lost their source of income, the fire had also made them paperless.
“I wanted to get our documents, my daughter’s clinic card but now everything is gone.
“I do not know what to do next. I have only paid the installment once … now how am I going to settle my debts?” she asked.
What made her more worried was to break the bad news to her mother, Salamah Nukah, 51, who is babysitting her grandchildren in Kuala Lumpur.
“She had gone there since three months ago. She only found out about the incident through the news on television.
“She called us immediately to ask our condition. We had to say that everything was fine, just so she would not be worried.
“Of course we can lie about our conditions since she is not here, but how can we keep the secret that our houses are gone … I just do not know how to break the news to her,” said Siti Aminah.
She is also worried of her 71-year-old father Hiya Majijil’s well-being.
“I guess we will have to stay at the evacuation centre a little bit longer than we planned,” she said.
Another affected villager, Norhaya Othman, 27, said she had not only lost her home, but also the sundry shop that she and her husband had built a few years ago.
“It hurts to see our source of income has now turned to ashes. I do not know how to pay our debts now … our lives are ruined,” she said.
Omar Olang, 57, from Kamping Tinagian, also shared her sentiments.
“We had just started our sundry shop business few months back. Although I may still have my home, everything I owned are gone.
“The items at the shop were stolen, and they also searched my house and took all valuable items away. My laptops, plates and clothings are gone,” said Omar.
Going back to his house, Omar, however, had a little joy when he found a blue vest among the piles of clothings on the floor.
“This is a gift for attending a seminar in Tawau,” he said, showing off his Barisan Nasional vest, adding: “It is valuable to me.”
He, like many others, are still unsure of his future plans.
“I guess we all have to start from scratch. At least I still have my house … I just pity those who are practically made homeless. But I believe the government cares for its people, they will be assisted,” he said.
The villagers within the red zone areas in Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu, will never be the same anymore.
They may heal from the pain, but they will never forget the experience.
It will continue to be a black dot in their life

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 10:30:00 -0700

Yuzu Japanese Restaurant

How do I explain about the restaurant is only one sentence I can say is oishi or in other words very good, did not try the food loss and a variety of dishes are available at Japanese restaurant located in oceanus.

Restaurants japanese growing in Kota Kinabalu city not only gained attention among locals but also among tourists who want to enjoy the feeling enjoy japanese food in town Kota Kinabalu.

The ambiance of the interior design can also hold the traditional features of the rising sun with a meal with a difference compared to the food contained in other Asian countries.

Who is not familiar with tempura, sushi and do not forget the food takoyaki has become so synonymous with the community in Sabah way in terms of process as well as the taste of food is so impressive.

For me it is very loss jka not try Japanese food restaurants which serve in yuzu, price and food potions are very reasonable and I am sure once I go again I feel sure not only that the service provided was excellent.

Address: Lot F33A, F35 & F36, Oceanus Waterfront Mall, Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Phone:088-273 363

Hours: Open today · 11:30AM–10PM

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 09:49:00 -0700

Victory for Borneo tribe over oil palm Goliath

A small group of Borneo hunter-gatherers have scored a major victory over a giant oil palm firm that was targeting their rainforest.
Survival revealed last month that the Malaysian firm Shin Yang was clearing forest and planting oil palm in an area where members of the Penan tribe were due to be resettled, to make way for the Murum dam.
Now the company has announced that it has halted work in the area ‘pending verification from the authorities’ that the land has been designated for the Penan.
The Penan have made clear that they do not want to move to make way for the dam, but believe they have no choice. The area they chose to move to is part of their ancestral land, but neither the government nor Shin Yang consulted them about the destruction of their forest.
Oil palms planted on recently-deforested land, Sarawak
© M Ross/ Survival
The Penan rely on their forest for hunting animals such as wild boar and monkeys and for collecting sago, fruits and rattan for making baskets and other artefacts.The Penan cannot survive without their forest. One man told Survival, ‘We are not like other people who can live with money, for us we can only live if our land is not destroyed. Without land we will not be able to survive.’
Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said today, ‘A great victory for the Penan. Planting oil palms in this area would have almost certainly resulted in the utter poverty and destitution of the tribe. The Malaysian government must continue to respect the Penan’s right to their land so no companies in the future can cut down their trees without their permission.’

noreply@blogger.com (yusri) — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 09:44:00 -0700

UPDATE 1-Borneo Lumbung IPO set to raise up to $632 mln-sources

* Set initial price at 1,170 rph/share - sources
* Set to offer 4.4 bln new shares - sources
* Set to raise $632 million, 2nd biggest IPO this year
(Adds quotes, details)
By Janeman Latul and Fathiya Dahrul
JAKARTA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Indonesian coking coal miner PT Borneo Lumbung Energi & Metal is set to raise 5.63 trillion rupiah ($632.4 million) by offering new shares this month, sources said, to become the country's second biggest IPO this year.
Borneo will offer 4.4 billion of news shares, higher than a previous plan to sell 3.3 billion new shares, two sources with direct knowledge of the deal said.
It will be the first initial public offering by an Indonesian coking coal miner and is the latest in a flurry of recent IPOs that comes amid strong foreign demand for Indonesian stocks.
The benchmark Jakarta stock index .JKSE extended recent gains to hit a fresh record high on Wednesday. Continued...

Gloria Jean to open more outlets

KUALA LUMPUR: Gloria Jean’s Coffees is on track to open 50 outlets by 2016, said chairman of Malaysia International Franchise Sdn Bhd (MyFranchise) Ahmad Shalimin Ahmad Shaffie today.
MyFranchise, through its subsidiary Wonderful Lifestyle Sdn Bhd, is the master franchisee of Gloria Jean’s Coffees in Malaysia and Brunei.
The gourmet coffee retailer has outlets at, among others, Plaza Sentral, Dataran Maybank, Jesselton Point 1 Borneo Sabah, Bursa Malaysia, Global Doctor Specialist Centre Mont Kiara, One Sentral and Kenanga International.
Today marked the opening of its 24th outlet, located in the Sime Darby Plantation tower building in Ara Damansara.
MyFranchise said it is a proven strategy for Gloria Jean’s Coffees franchisees to operate their outlets within office buildings.
Ahmad Shalimin said at a press conference today: “About 10 more outlets will be opened including two in Brunei by year-end, and it is a positive sign that more franchisees have confidence in taking up the Gloria Jean’s Coffees franchise.”
Rosenafizah Jantan, owner and franchise partner of the Ara Damansara outlet, said MyFranchise’s extensive support — including for financing, management, operations and promotions — had given her the confidence to join the franchise business.
-Bernama