Upbeat about Miri’s future as vibrant resort city

MIRI: Being a northern gateway to Sarawak, Miri will continue thriving hard to become a truly vibrant resort city.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said after 10 years of being declared a city it had achieved much to become what it is today.

“Based on its very good foundation, Miri will be a vibrant resort city and a more prosperous city, more commercial city, sustainable environmental city, city of culture and grace, city for all seasons, a people city and practically a friendlier city,” he stated in his address during the Miri City Day’s 10th anniversary concert at Miri City Fan on Saturday.

On tourism, Wong pointed there was a need to provide more tourism infrastructure to meet visitors’ and tourists’ expectation.

With its diverse community, he said there was much for the city to offer in terms of the uniqueness of ethnic culture.

The large hinterlands including Beluru, Niah, Bekenu, Mulu, Marudi, Long Lama and many others, he added, were blessed with a wide range of natural pristine eco-tourism products that were yet to be truly developed and further exploited.

Thus, he hoped these assets would be fully exploited to make Miri a truly resort city.

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Serian set to come alive with inaugural Bidayuh Music Festival on May 23 – 24

KUCHING: The pre-Gawai celebrations in Serian will be extra special this year as the town stages the first-ever Bidayuh Music Festival.

Bidayuh Artistes and Musicians Association (Bama) president Dr Alim Impira said the event would be held for two consecutive nights, starting May 23.

He also said about 5,000 people were expected to fill Taman Komuniti Serian to watch new and established Bidayuh recording artistes.

“Bidayuh Music Festival (BMF) 2015 will be parading the best recording artistes from the Bidayuh community. It is also one of the key activities for Bama, registered on Jan 6 this year, to elevate the standard of the Bidayuh music industry, which has a history of more than 50 years,” said Alim.

Bama is organising BMF 2015 with Serian District Council (SDC), which celebrates its silver jubilee this year. The event is also supported by Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) in conjunction with its 60th anniversary, and it also coincides with the elevation of Serian District into a division, added Alim.

The event’s patron, Minister of Human Resources Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem is scheduled to officiate at the opening ceremony on May 23, while Kedup assemblyman Martin Ben is expected to close the spectacle the following night.

Alim said the theme chosen for the inaugural BMF was ‘Lagu Bidayuh Paguh, Le Caq!’ (Bidayuh songs are good, let’s remain solid) to reflect the association’s aim to elevate the Bidayuh music industry.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Serian set to come alive with inaugural Bidayuh Music Festival on May 23 – 24

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Preserving traditions through ‘Sape’ music

MIRI: The first leg of the events leading up to the inaugural Baram Sape Master Kuala Lumpur (BSMKL 2015) kicked off at Permy Mall here yesterday in conjunction with Miri May Fest.

Telang Usan assemblyman, Dennis Ngau, when launching the event yesterday, urged Orang Ulus to uphold their traditions, in particular sape music – which has undergone tremendous transformation.

“We need to maintain the original sape music for posterity and cultural identification.

“This does not mean that we don’t want others to modify or modernise our sape music and its rhythm. What is important is to have the databank of sape music for easier identification of both original and modern sape music,” he said.

Dennis also called for strong support from all to ensure that the sape remains relevant, particularly as one of the Orang Ulu’s identities, which has the potential to become a tourist attraction.

“Support, including financial assistance from successful Orang Ulus and the general public too is greatly needed, especially for staging BSMKL 2015 in Kuala Lumpur,” he urged.

BSMKL 2015 will be held on Sept 4 and 5 to preserve and maintain the originality and uniqueness of Orang Ulu traditional music from Sarawak and Malaysia in general at both national and international levels.

It is the first to be held outside Sarawak, following the success of the 2014 Baram Sape Master, held in Long Lama.

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Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

We wave goodbye to Turtle Island and head off.

The seas are choppy this morning, making for a bumpy ride back.

Then, it’s on the bus to Sepilok, about an hour away.

Arriving at the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, visitors are asked to use the free lockers provided to store away bags.

You can purchase a pass to use your camera for RM10 and this is basically the only thing you can bring in with you to the sanctuary.

The orangutan have been known to snatch bags and loose items so it’s a necessary precautionary measure.

The walking path leads down to the feeding platform, passing informative sign boards along the way.

There are two feedings a day (10am and 3pm) and the RM30 ticket is valid for the whole day so you can attend both feedings.

As it nears 10am, the orangutans start to converge on the platform, as do baboons and other monkeys.

The staff member arrives and climbs up the platform with a basket of bananas.

All the animals enjoy their feast. The orangutan are fed a diet of bananas from the feeding platform.

The hope is that this monotony in food from the platform will teach the orangutans to forage for a more varied diet out in the nature reserve.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

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Turtle Islands National Park – Selingan

This morning, we catch a speedboat from the Sandakan jetty and make for our destination of Turtle Islands National Park.

Selingan island is about a 1.5hr boat ride away and is a conservation island for the Green turtle and the Hawksbill turtle, who come on shore to lay their eggs.

Arriving at a picturesque tropical beach, an afternoon of lazing around is in order.

The water is sparkling clear and warm. The location is idyllic and the salt water provides relief for our still weary legs.

Visitors stay on the island but are asked to vacate the beach by 6pm.

This is because turtles will come up to shore to lay the eggs each night and the rangers do not want them to be disturbed.

There is also a police presence on the island as we are only 30km away from the territory of the Phillipines.

The police serve as both rangers to detect poachers, as well as border patrol. A stint on the island for a police officer lasts 3 months.

At 6pm, an exhibition room opens above the dining room and tells us a little more about the turtles as well as the coral and other marine life around the island.

At 7pm, a short video details a little more about the local turtles.

The fact of the day is that the sex of the turtle is determined by what temperature the eggs mature in.

A variation in 4.3 degrees can mean the difference between a male or a female turtle hatching.

This curiosity means that the keepers on the sanctuary have to aim for an even distribution of male and female hatchlings.

Some eggs are buried in the shade, while others are in the sun.

After dinner, we have to remain in the dining hall.

Now it’s the waiting game as we must patiently await for the ranger to tell us when a turtle has come ashore and we can view her laying her eggs.

The previous evening, the first turtle arrived at 7pm so we are hopeful it won’t be too late.

The clock rolls past 10pm as we wait.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Turtle Islands National Park – Selingan

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