The Borneo Story: The Swamp

This is the ninth and last in the series of The Borneo Story by Tom Harrisson and Hugh Gibb in the late 1950s courtesy of The Doozer.

The episode documented life in the mangrove tree swamps in the river deltas around Borneo, as well as Malay fishing villages constructed on stilts. Birds and animals that live in the swamp are shown in closeup.

The Borneo Story: 'The Swamp'

from The Doozer on Vimeo.

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Divers plant 777 corals at Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Semporna

SEMPORNA: Fifty divers, including international participants, took part in a coral planting event in Sabah's east coast district.

Held under Astro Kasih's Beautiful Malaysia programme, the divers, who also comprised 25 Astro Kasih staff members, planted 777 individual corals at Ribbon Reef in Tun Sakaran Marine Park near Bohey Dulang Island, about an hour's boat ride from here.

The feat earned them a place in the Malaysia Book of Records after their effort eclipsed the last record of 501 individual corals planted last year.

“It is very significant because plenty of coral reefs have died,” Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

She added that the feat would help highlight the state and Malaysia's tourism sites, especially after several sites were hit by coral bleaching last year.

Dr Ng also said talks were under way to have direct flights from two eastern Russian cities to Kota Kinabalu by year-end.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Divers plant 777 corals at Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Semporna

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Think holiday, think Sarawak

KUCHING: Sarawak aims to be the ‘Top of Mind’ name for visitors to Malaysia one day.

Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said this meant that the state wanted tourists to automatically think of Sarawak when they thought of having a holiday in Malaysia or Borneo.

He said this was why the state was constantly looking into new ways of making vacation places more interesting and more attractive to everybody.

To ensure the state achieve this aim, he called on the public and private tourism players to pool their resources and work together to start creating new and innovative ways to promote Sarawak, especially the facilities that it had, the uniqueness in culture, adventure and nature that the players all bank on.

Johari, who is also Housing Minister, said given more tourists were looking for eco-friendly recreation, there was a need for all parties concerned to constantly enhance the state’s offerings by promoting environmentally friendly business practices and activities.

“We have the natural resources in our national parks, beaches and wildlife.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Think holiday, think Sarawak
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The Borneo Story: Highlanders of the Equator

The eighth in the series of The Borneo Story by Tom Harrisson and Hugh Gibb in the late 1950s courtesy of The Doozer.

The way of life of the Kelabital highlanders of the tropical rainforests of Borneo is described in this episode. Daily activities include stone carving, beadcraft, breadcraft, basketry, carpentry, irrigated agriculture, trapping, fishing, cooking, and salt production.

The Borneo Story: 'Highlanders of the Equator'

from The Doozer on Vimeo.

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Bandar Seri Begawan - Borneo bling

Discover BSB, the capital of tiny, shiny, secretive Brunei.

FULL disclosure: as a northern hemisphere relic until well into this century, I had no clue where Brunei was.

I thought that the oil-rich sultanate blessed with swathes of pristine rainforest stood somewhere in the Persian Gulf – next to Oman, say.

Brunei actually lurks on Borneo’s northwestern coast, bizarrely sandwiched between two slabs of Sarawak. Apparently landed from space, Brunei is the last stand of an empire that once spanned all Borneo and the southwest Philippines. Now one of the world’s smallest countries, Brunei (“abode of peace”) has just 400,000 inhabitants.

The heart of the exclusive corner of Borneo is the palm tree-lined capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, which swallows up most of the population, hosting 280,000 people.

If you cannot remember the capital’s name, just use the abbreviation, BSB, which aptly echoes an Aussie finance term meaning “Bank/State/Branch”.

At the heart of BSB stands a dazzling Taj Mahal-like monument: Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque. The landmark merrily mixes Italian styles and Mughal architecture, and matches slender minarets with bulbous domes.

Built in honour of said Sultan, the mosque owes its existence to 20th-century Lombardy virtuoso Rodolfo Nolli. The sculptor and architect was hot at his job. So hot that he won the title Cavaliere (knight). Nolli the knight must have loved himself when the great mosque fully materialised in 1958.

Embedded in an artificial lagoon, Nolli’s creation soars 52m into the sky. Visible throughout BSB, the mosque boasts marble minarets, golden domes and, well, bling.

The most striking feature, the main dome, is coated with pure gold that presumably comes from an exotic source because much of the mosque’s material has an overseas origin.

The marble from Italy, the granite from Shanghai, the crystal chandeliers from England (which ruled the country until 1984) and the carpets from Saudi Arabia. The splashy spiritual icon’s courtyards are surrounded by a lush, fountain-dotted garden that symbolises paradise.

An arching staircase leading from paradise takes you to a bizarre concrete replica of a 16th-century royal barge. The barge, which stages Quran-reading contests, surreally seems to float like a lily on the lagoon.

Across the water, the skeletal shape of Kampung Ayer (“water village”) catches the eye. Besides homes for its 30,000 inhabitants, Kampong Ayer has mosques, restaurants, shops, schools, and a hospital – all woven together by 36km of boardwalk and community spirit reminiscent of a Sarawak longhouse.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Bandar Seri Begawan - Borneo bling
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