PM NAJIB ANNOUNCES RM10MILLION ALLOCATION FOR KINABALU PARK REMEDIAL WORKS
KUNDASANG, Sabah, Malaysia - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib
Razak recognizes the international stature of Kinabalu Park, saying that it
would be a loss to Sabah and the world if activities there could not be
continued.
In view of that, he also announced a RM10 million allocation
to the Park for remedial works following the Friday earthquake that saw lives
perished on Mount Kinabalu and the mountain's facade damaged and altered.
He said the government will consider giving special
recognitions to the fallen mountain guides as well as those who showed their
bravery during the disaster.
Najib also said that
all that could be done was carried out during the Search and Rescue efforts.
"If anyone wants to point fingers, due to delay or weaknesses in operations, we have done whatever humanly possible on such circumstances.
"We have rescued all that could be saved," he added.
"If anyone wants to point fingers, due to delay or weaknesses in operations, we have done whatever humanly possible on such circumstances.
"We have rescued all that could be saved," he added.
Source: New Straits Times
SABAH, MALAYSIAN BORNEO : A MODEL OF TOLERANCE, MODERATION AND CO-EXISTING
Having visited Sabah on many occasions,one can immediately
notice the aura of respect and divine moderation among Sabahans. With a diverse
culture and heritage, religion and racial respect is portrayed in every smiling
Sabahan.
Like many Malaysians,being an avid follower in the social
media,it’s refreshing to see how Sabahans adapt and co-exist so harmoniously
among their Muslim,Christians,Buddhist and Hindu friends and relatives.
Politics has nurtured it’s way in the country by
unscrupulous politicians with their hardline actions of being more holier than
thou, hence the hostility which will eventually destroy the 
goodwill once
enjoyed by all Malaysians.
goodwill once
enjoyed by all Malaysians.
Coming back to Sabah. As an avid follower of the social
media,I stumbled upon a Catholic sacred event that took place in Ranau Sabah
recently.
It was the ordination of a Catholic priest.But what impressed
me most was the family members of the priest.
Father Abel was the priest,and his family members consist of
relatives who had converted to Islam,and the joy seen
on their faces in the photos taken is something that would shock most
Peninsular Malaysians,who by the way are still very ignorant about Sabah.
Father Abel was the priest,and his family members consist of
relatives who had converted to Islam,and the joy seen
on their faces in the photos taken is something that would shock most
Peninsular Malaysians,who by the way are still very ignorant about Sabah.
Photographs of female relatives in their hijab with Father
Abel would have probably triggered a protest in Peninsular Malaysia,with the
excuse that ” being photographed with a Catholic priest may influence them in
changing their faith and religion.
But this is Sabah,and living cordially with mutual respect
is God’s gift to Sabah. The Government of Sabah should be applauded for ensuring that racial and religious “disasters” taking place in Peninsular Malaysia stays out of Sabah.
Sabahans have shown character which must be emulated by the
less informed about racial and religious co-existing.
To know Sabah is to love Sabah,I would say.
To know Sabah is to love Sabah,I would say.
By Jackson Chong Abdullah - SabahKini
SABAH, MALAYSIAN BORNEO GETS TOURISM BOOST FROM NEW YORK TIMES
KOTA KINABALU, Sabah, Malaysia - Two recent New York Times (NYT) reports on
Sabah are likely to give a much-needed boost to efforts to woo Americans to
the state.The stories written by NYT's investigative writer Ian Urbina that appeared on Feb 12 and 18 were deemed positive for Sabah.
This is a good promotion to Americans who have never heard
of Kota Kinabalu, or still undecided whether to visit the state, said Sabah, state
Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.He hope the article would let Americans know that Kota Kinabalu is an exotic destination that is a good alternative to other more well-known destinations.
He also commended the writer for commenting about the negative side of the city that he saw while travelling here last August and November.
"The report reminds us of one of our biggest challenges
in tourism - cleanliness. We need to think of better ways to keep the city and
our sea clean," said Masidi."We also need to improve our sewerage system," he said in referring to the instance where the writer noted the occasionally "rancid stench" on the city waterfront, a clear suggestion that there is untreated sewage being discharged into the bay.
Masidi said the articles debunk perceptions that the whole of Sabah was unsafe to visit.
"It shows that Sabah is not just about Sipadan Island,
off the east coast district of Semporna. It has many awesome attractions even
within the capital itself," he said.Urbina described the City Mosque situated near Likas Bay here as "majestic", and he also had his first tangle with our durian, which he described as "a slimy fruit which tasted like mushy, spoiled onion".
The writer also commented on the multiracial makeup of Sabah's society, and appeared to enjoy the natural attractions around Gaya island,
Pulau Sapi,and Pulau Manukan.
Source: asiaone
TOURISTS FLOCK BACK TO MALAYSIAN SABAH
KOTA KINABALU, Sabah, Malaysia - Foreign tourists are coming back to Sabah
after a decline immediately following several crime incidents, including
kidnappings by armed gunmen.However, the government was taking the necessary steps to prevent such incidents from recurring.
According to sources the tourists, were once again
confident in the level of security in the state.
the
government was taking the necessary steps to prevent such incidents
from recurring - See more at:
http://news.asiaone.com/news/travel/tourists-flocking-back-sabah#sthash.UDFPm3aZ.dpuf
The number of foreign tourist arrivals is once again on the
rise, an indicator that they are confident with the security level in Sabah.Steps such as the setting up of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) and curfew are among the efforts put in place to keep the state peaceful in the wake of events that took place two years ago.
The source
was referring to the Lahad Datu intrusion in 2013 as well as the kidnappings.
Sources: Agency
MANILA TELLS FILIPINOS TO CLAIM SABAH THROUGH INTERNATIONAL LAWS NOT FORCE
MANILA, Philippines - On March 19, it was reported that Manila had engaged a
team of lawyers to study the country’s claim on Sabah amid clashes between
Filipino gunmen and Malaysian security forces there.
The Philippine Star reported a senior member of the Philippine government as
saying that the country had not 
given up its claim on the territory that has
been part of Malaysia for decades.
given up its claim on the territory that has
been part of Malaysia for decades.
“Are they kidding when they say we have given up our claim? We’re paying so
much for the lawyers to study the claim,” Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras
was quoted as saying.
But, he said, that any action by the country will be carried out according
to international laws, and not through force, appearing to echo President
Benigno Aquino III’s views.
The daily also reported Aquino as saying that his administration was drawing
up a roadmap to end the dispute over Sabah peacefully.
Debates about the Philippine government and the Sultanate of Sulu’s claim on
Sabah had resurfaced following an incursion into Sabah’s east coast by a group
of over 200 armed followers of the self-styled Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III
over a month ago.
The Sultanate of Sulu has laid claim to Sabah, saying it had merely leased
North Borneo in 1878 to the British North Borneo Company for an annual payment
of 5,000 Malayan dollars then, which was increased to 5,300 Malayan dollars in
1903.
Sabah, however, joined Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore to form Malaysia in
1963, after which Malaysia continued paying an annual stipend of 
RM5,300 to the
Sulu sultanate on the basis of the sultanate ceding the Borneo state.
RM5,300 to the
Sulu sultanate on the basis of the sultanate ceding the Borneo state.
Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had previously highlighted the Cobbold
Commission’s 1962 referendum in Sabah and Sarawak, where about two-thirds of
the people voted to be part of Malaysia.
Early this month, Malaysia’s Bar Council said the Sulu sultanate no longer
holds any legal claim over Sabah.
- Pointing out that the ICJ had recognised Malaysia’s rights and sovereignty over Sabah and the islands surrounding it during a territorial dispute in 2002.
- The ICJ recognised Malaysia’s claim in its decision on the dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia over the islands of Ligitan and Sipadan, off the coast of Sabah, in December 2002. The Philippines had at the time applied to intervene in the case, but its application was rejected.
- Both Malaysia and the Philippines are members of ASEAN, and the former was instrumental in brokering a peace deal in the southern Philippines.
Source: Yahoo News
PHILIPPINES NAVY ARRESTS SULU MEN
MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino sultan’s spokesman said 22 out of the 38 men
arrested by the Philippine authorities in the south sea are members of
their group.
Jamalul Kiram said the men left Sabah on two speedboats filled with
firearms and the rest of the men are not part of their group.
Leonardo de Vera and a team of defence lawyers will represent the 22 men, Idjirani said.
- The Philippine Navy arrested the armed men as they crossed the sea between Sabah and the south Philippines on Wednesday.
- Cases for illegal possession of firearms, violation of the election gun ban and violation of Article 118 of the Revised Penal Code for Inciting to War or Giving Motives for reprisals would be filed against them before the Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Regional Trial Court, said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (photo right below).
- Inquest proceedings against the 38 were held on Thursday.
- The 38 were earlier detained in a naval facility in Panlima, Tawi-Tawi. They will remain under the custody of the Philippine Navy as their case is being heard, De Lima said.
Other groups or individuals will be charged in court in connection with
the ongoing tension in Sabah, said De Lima. She did not give details.
Jamalul Kiram allowed his brother Raja Mudda Agbimuddin Kiram and his
200 followers to occupy Tanduao village, Lahad Datu on February 9, to
push for his family’s historical claim over Sabah, which dates back to
1650.
Clashes with Malaysian authorities which began on March 1, have killed
almost 60, majority of the victims were Filipino Muslims. Almost 100 of
them were also arrested, Malaysian authorities said.
Source: Agency
OF RARE RHINO IN MALAYSIAN BORNEO GIVE HOPE FOR SPICES
KOTA KINABALU, Sabah, Malaysia - Malaysian wildlife authorities say the capture of a young Borneo Sumatran rhino gives them a last chance to save the highly endangered species from extinction.The female rhino, aged between 10 and 12, was caught on December 18 and is being kept in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah on the Malaysian area of Borneo island. It is hoped it will breed with a lone captive male.
The female rhino, which has been named Puntung, was caught in a joint operation by the Borneo Rhino Alliance and the Sabah Wildlife Department.- "This is now the very last chance to save this species, one of the most ancient forms of mammal," Laurentius Ambu, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, said in a statement.
- Puntung had been specifically targeted since early 2010 as the mate for a 20-year-old male rhino named Tam, who was rescued from an oil palm plantation in August 2008.
- "It is an ideal age for breeding. Puntung and Tam are being kept in adjacent paddocks. They can see each other and there is some communication," Mr Payne said.
Previous attempts in the 1980s and 1990s to breed Borneo Sumatran rhinos failed, but Mr Payne is "cautiously optimistic" the latest captive breeding program will succeed.The critically endangered Sumatran rhino is a mostly solitary animal except for courtship and rearing young.
Mr Payne says the main threat to the survival of species "is there are so few and they do not mate in the wild".
- The breeding program is important because it is estimated only between 30 and 50 of the Borneo sub-species of the Sumatran rhinos are known to remain in the wild in Borneo.
- It is distinguished from other Sumatran rhinos by its relatively small size, small teeth and distinctively shaped head.
- Mr Payne attributes the sharp decline in the population to previously being hunted for use in traditional Chinese medicine.
NO PLACE LIKE MALAYSIAN BORNEO FOR A SABAHAN MP
Sabahan Member of Parliament (MP), Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan enjoyed every minute of the 18 years he spent in Malaysian capital city, Kuala Lumpur(KL). However, he still believe, there’s no place in the world like Sabah. A country label as a part of Malaysian Borneo ( the other part is Sarawak). There in Sabah the people are less polarized. IT’S NOT easy being a Sabahan in Kuala Lumpur. Kota Belud MP, Datuk Abd Rahman Dahlan will vouch for that. Whether it is the language or lifestyle, he took a while adapting to life in KL when he moved to the capital in the 1980s from Kg Serusup in Sabah’s Tuaran district.
For 18 years, Rahman, a Bajau, made his home in KL before he finally decided in 2008 to uproot his family of five and return for good to his home state. Reminiscing, he said life in the bustling city was a culture shock when he arrived as a young man in his 20s.- “If you’re not careful, you’d become a silo, (that is), you would only interact with certain people or groups. And if you were not good with the Peninsular Malaysian dialect, that could be a stumbling block. I had the same problem. They couldn’t understand what I was saying, and I had to change the way I talked,” says Rahman, secretary-general of Sabah Barisan Nasional.
“As a politician, I was envious of development in KL (right photo), thinking that my hometown was yearning for the same kind of development. I was worried that Sabahans would get left behind. Sometimes I tried to rationalise by saying KL was the nation’s capital and it had to have the best of the best.
“But then when you think about it, the Government is willing to spend billions of ringgit to build yet another highway in the peninsula just to cut traveling time by 15 minutes. I thought to myself, if you would only give up just one highway and do a road linkage in Sabah (right photo), then Sabahans would be very happy,” he says.
Rahman studied at the California State University in the United States after his SPM in 1983, and came back six years later to work in the financial sector in Sabah. However, he found Sabah lagging behind in development, and agreed to work in KL.One thing he could never get used to in KL was the traffic. Having visited some of the busiest cities in the US, like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, Rahman found the traffic in those places to be more tolerable compared to KL.
“I stayed in Ampang, and my office was in Menara May bank next to Puduraya. You might be in a good mood when you start out but by the time you reach the office, you’re messed up because it had taken one and a half hours to get to work!”- Rahman says whenever he walked into a Chinese coffee shop in KL, he drew attention. Whereas, in Sabah, he can enter any coffee shop and have his coffee without anyone looking at him, but in KL, he get stares.
The 46-year-old, who travels back and forth between KL and Sabah to fulfill his duties as Member of Parliament, says he enjoyed every minute of his time in West Malaysia. And why not? After all, this was where he met his wife, former NTV7 senior anchorwoman Datin Norazlina Awang Had (right photo), with whom he has three children, aged 8 to 11.- For all the differences between Sabah and the peninsula, Rahman does notice various similarities,
particularly the willingness to work hard and help each other out. - He sees his marriage to his wife, who is from Kedah, as his small personal contribution to national integration.
- “I used to joke with her that I married her because it was payback time, as many West Malaysians came to work in Sabah and ended up marrying Sabahans! But I am lucky because I have the best of both worlds. I
know the peculiarities of Peninsular Malaysians. I understand them. - So when I go to Parliament, I know how they will react to certain issues,” he says with a smile.
- While he strives to bring more development to Sabah, Rahman wants Malaysians across the country to focus on the similarities they have instead of harping on their differences.
“My hope for Malaysia Day is that we would look at the common denominators like respect for the flag, royalty and the Constitution ... these are the building blocks of the country. We live in a fragmented society and are facing tough times now, no thanks to politics. There is a lot of polarisation because of religion, race and parochialism, and that divides us,” Rahman says.He believes Malaysia need not look far for the best model of integration. “I know this is a cliche but Sabahans have a genuine warmth about them. There are no problems among the races.”
VISITORS GEOFLAGS SINCE AUGUST 26, 2009
