Melanau heritage building to boost Mukah tourism

DALAT: Local tourism and economy in Mukah Division is poised for further development with the construction of the Melanau Heritage Gallery building here.

Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg announced an additional allocation of RM2 million for the building’s construction on top of an allocation of RM1.1 million made earlier.

“This means the Melanau Heritage Gallery building has about RM3.1 million for its construction cost as a whole, “ he said when announcing the allocation at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Melanau

Heritage Gallery building in conjunction with the Dalat District Level Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering at Stadium Perpaduan Dalat yesterday afternoon.

Also present were his wife Datin Amar Datuk Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang, Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, Assistant Minister of Community Well Being Datuk Francis Harden Hollis and Telian assemblyman Yussibnosh Balo.

Abang Johari said the local residents could make use of technology to upload the photos of the building on the Internet to promote it to the world.

“Culture is connected with the economy. That is the state’s wealth, (as we are) endowed with various cultures and unique ethnic groups.

“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has said if you want to see a truly 1Malaysia culture, Sarawak is the best example.

“Thus, we must strengthen our culture and practise it,” he pointed out.

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Kaul Festival - Mukah can be as well known as Cannes

MUKAH: Mukah can be Sarawak’s version of Cannes in France if marketed properly for its tourism traits.

In saying this, Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg stated that Cannes, now famed worldwide for its filming location, was just a small town with a population of only 70,000.

“It is my hope that Mukah with about the same population as Cannes added with good infrastructure and environment can be marketed like Cannes. This is my hope but I need the cooperation of all stages because we can attract tourists to come to Mukah through our cultural heritage that we have here,” he said when officiating at the closing of the 17th Kaul Festival here on Sunday.

His wife Datin Amar Datuk Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang, Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, Assistant Minister for Urbanisation Datuk Talib Zulpilip, Assistant Minister of Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh, Mukah MP Dato Sri Dr Muhammad Leo Toyad, Balingian assemblyman Abdul Yakub Arbi, Telian assemblyman Yussibnosh Balo and Jemoreng assemblyman Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya were present.

Abang Johari had earlier said that Kaul Festival was a celebration that was well-received by the local community; thus the organisers have to improve from year to year because the annual cultural event cannot be seen anywhere else but in Sarawak, particularly in Mukah.

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Construction of new Mukah airport to begin soon

MARUDI: Construction of a new airport in Mukah to cater to larger aircraft like ATR turboprops is expected to begin soon, said Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) Managing Director Datuk Mohd Badlisham Ghazali.

He said the proposed new airport was announced in Budget 2016.

“Mukah has long needed that kind of airport, it is a priority as announced by the government.

“Construction of the airport is part of the Eleventh Malaysia Plan, the planning portion will start soon and I think construction work will start at the end of this year or next year,” he told reporters after visiting the Marudi airport yesterday.

Asked if planning for the new Mukah airport would be affected by the recalibrated Budget 2016, Badlisham said Mukah really needs a new airport.

“This is a long-standing matter, that’s why the government has approved the budget for this airport, but we still need to wait for the Prime Minister’s decision.

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Kaul Fest a viable platform for Mukah folk to generate income

MUKAH: The Kaul Festival serves as a platform for the local community to seek opportunities for improving their economic standing, by way of introducing and promoting their products to domestic and foreign visitors.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem noted that the tourism sector remained a vital contributor to the state’s economic growth.

“Therefore, the local community should seize the opportunity during Kaul Festival towards generating lucrative income for themselves, as well as drawing more crowds to the event.

“The festival is one that brings people of various races together and at the same time, it promotes Sarawak – particularly Mukah – to the world,” he said when officiating at this year’s Kaul Festival here yesterday.

Adenan pointed out that tolerance and respect for one another had made it possible for the local folk to come together for the festival.

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Fishing Safari will return together with Kaul Festival

MUKAH: The Fishing Safari will be back this time around together with the Mukah Festival this year.

The event will be held on April 19 at Press Metal Sarawak Sdn Bhd pond, some 38km from this town.

The company has run similar events several times and the biggest number of participants was 500 anglers.

According to company’s spokesperson Requel Anthony, various prizes are up for grabs in several categories.

“This is the first time we are holding it in conjunction with Kaul Mukah Festival.”

The annual festival, organised by Sarawak Melanau Association Federation and supported by several partners, will kick off this April 18 at the seashore some 500m from the Kaul site.

Kaul Tugek is one of the traditional ceremonies that includes a simple session to seek blessing, followed by light refreshment by the seaside.

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Kaul Fest a heritage to treasure

MUKAH: The annual Kampung Sungai Ud Kaul Festival can become the initial platform to expose and educate today’s youngsters on the culture and traditions of the Melanau community.

Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, who officiated at the event at the village’s community hall here yesterday, said Kaul Festival could become that first step towards that mission.

“As we can see for ourselves, the ‘kaul’ has been held every year since generations ago and obviously, it has undegone changes over time.

“However, those from the younger generation need to know about the meaning of ‘kaul’ in all its significant virtues.

The festival is actually a platform for us to be thankful for our blessings, as well as to treat sickness and to keep it at bay,” she said.

According to Fatimah, who is also Dalat assemblywoman , one could liken the festival to a ‘family day’ where all members of a community – irrespective of age and background – would gather and make the atmosphere festive.

“Children, teenagers, adults and senior citizens can get together and have a great time through many activities being run throughout the festival.

It’s about spending quality time and this, by itself, is a treasured heritage.”

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Melanau Cultural Centre coming up

MUKAH: A Melanau Cultural Centre here is expected to take off as one of the new happenings aside from the construction of the new airport here.

Sarawak Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg announced this when he attended the ‘Pesta Kaul Mukah 2014’ here in Taman Kala Dana Mukah yesterday.

The curtain-raiser to the calendar event involved no less than the Chief Minister, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem, who officiated at the festival.

“The construction of the (Melanau) centre was an idea of our Chief Minister, and it has been approved, but it is still in the rolling plan,” Abang Johari said, but did not elaborate further.

He added that the construction of the new airport here would also allow tourists to see and enjoy the unique culture here, and they can then share it for the rest of the world to see.

On the other hand, phase two of the Dalat Waterfront would give a new impact to the Dalat district, according to Abang Johari.

“We are going to develop phase two of the Dalat Waterfront which would be able to give a new impact to the Dalat district, much like in Kuching,” he enthused.

Meanwhile, Adenan opined that the diverse races and culture of Sarawak was a boon for the state, hence the need to preserve the distinctive cultural heritage.

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Mukah to have new airport sooner than later

KUCHING: The dream of Mukah folk to have a bigger and better airport will become a reality sooner than later now that a contract to build a new airport was signed here yesterday.

The RM133-million earthwork will begin tomorrow and will be completed in 20 months’ time.

The contract document was signed between Public Works Department as the project implementer and the contractor – Hock Peng Furniture & General Contractor Sdn Bhd. Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications Dato Sri Michael Manyin and Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Amar Wilson Baya Dandot were also there as witnesses.

Signing on behalf of JKR was its director Zuraimi Sakhi while Hock Peng Furniture & General Contractor Sdn Bhd was represented by its chairman and managing director Datuk Toh Chiew Hock.

Speaking at a news conference later, Manyin said the multi-million ringgit project was another milestone in Mukah and also the entire central region covering urban centres like Mukah, Tanjung Manis, Simalajau, Sibu, Bintulu, Sarikei and Kapit.

“On completion, the new airport, a Code 3C airport catering for ATR72 or F50 aircraft, will help to speed up economic activities at the coastal area and also to sustain the economic development brought about by Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

“The airport will not be able to cater for Boeing B737 or Airbus A320 aircraft but it will be built in such a way that it can be quickly upgraded to Code 4C airport when the need arises in future.”

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Kaul festival a showcase of Melanau’s rich culture, arts and heritage

MUKAH: The Mukah Kaul Festival is an iconic event that’s not only for the Melanau community but also visitors from outside Mukah.

Federation of Sarawak Melanau Association (PPMS) deputy president Datuk Aidan Wing, who stated this, also said the annual festival, now in its 13th edition, showcases the rich culture, arts and heritage of the Melanaus.

“In conjunction with Sarawak’s 50 years of independence in Malaysia, this year’s event also focuses on the vast transformation of Mukah for the past 50 years from all aspects,” he said at the launching of the Mukah Kaul Festival official logo and Mukah Kaul Festival 2014 football competition yesterday.

The football competition was launched by Igan member of parliament Datuk Abdul Wahab Dolah, who is also the sponsor of the championship.

Aidan also expressed his hope of seeing more basic infrastructure projects in Mukah.

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20,000 visitors expected at Mukah Kaul Fest

KUCHING: A flurry of preparations is underway for the forthcoming annual Mukah Kaul Festival, which is expected to attract at least 20,000 visitors this year.

Sarawak Melanau Associations Federation president Dato Sri Dr Muhammad Leo Toyad said the festival, which would be held from April 25 to 30, would focus on the vast transformation of Mukah over the past 50 years.

“This is a special year as the state celebrates its 50th anniversary. The festival will highlight the immense developments that have changed Mukah in all aspects, especially in education, infrastructure, economy and the industries,” he told a press conference after chairing the Melanau Association meeting here yesterday.

The festival, he added, was into its 13th edition this year and it was also aimed at showing the richness of the Melanau cultures, arts and heritage.

The Mukah Kaul Festival 2014 logo is expected to be launched on April 12, and Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem is scheduled to launch the festival on April 26.

“We invite all the communities in Sarawak and other visitors, both domestic and international, to join us in this colourful celebration.”

Dr Leo Toyad said in past years the number of foreign tourists attending the festival was insignificant.

“There’s a lack of foreign travellers to Mukah mainly due to accessibility problems.

“But now that civil work has begun for a new airport, we hope to see more foreign tourists coming into Mukah in the near future.”

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Sago worms, tebaloi, umai and all things about Mukah

SIMILAJAU: The Mukah Wet Market at the riverfront is a must-see for any first-time visitor to the burgeoning administrative centre.

Although it sits in a relatively small area, it is known for its fresh fish and produce at reasonable prices. Unsurprisingly, many locals still prefer to shop there for their groceries instead of at supermarkets.

A good time to visit is when the market is at its busiest – in the early and mid-hours of the morning – where one can see fishermen unloading the day’s catch off their boats at the jetty and customers snapping them up quickly, sometimes even before the fish has the chance to be displayed on the tarpaulins laid on the floor.

Among the exotic fish offered for sale yesterday was a large ikan landak at least a foot long with long spines, and small sharks.

Freshly prepared umai – thinly sliced pieces of raw fish marinated with onions, chilies and lime juice – can usually be found at the market as well although the BAT3 team did not manage to spot any umai vendors during a visit yesterday morning.

Another of Mukah’s specialties which can be found at the wet market is sago and its derivatives, including the tasty tebaloi crackers and sago flour balls. They are sold at the small stalls housed in a building along the waterfront.

Of course, one cannot visit the market without keeping an eye out for sago worms, the larvae of a beetle which lives in and eats the pith of the sago palm. The fat grub is prized for its rich and buttery flavour and texture, and can be eaten raw or more commonly, stir-fried.

Greengrocer Josie Eyun, 56, told the BAT3 team that the current price for the delicacy is about RM50 per kg as it is not the season for it.

“In places like Miri and Bintulu, it is even more expensive – about RM80 per kg,” she said, adding that someone had asked her to help them sell the larvae at her stall.

Josie comes from Kg Tebakang in Serian but moved to Mukah 25 years ago with her husband. She has pretty much settled down in this place but still visits her village at least twice a year.

After the short visit to the market, the BAT3 team set out for Bintulu via the Pan Borneo highway.

The three-and-a-half-hour trip included a brief stop at the bright-yellow Batang Mukah Bridge just outside of the town to look at the massive coal yard and operations just next to it, and a quick lunch at a 24-hour rest stop at the Mukah-Selangau junction.

About 77km before we reached Bintulu, somewhere near Tatau, we stopped to take photo of a large rock by the roadside that has been spray-painted with 4-digit numbers. Apparently thisrock is a popular destination for lottery punters from as far away places as Sibu and Bintulu who would go there to pay respects to the spirit of the rock and hopefully receive good fortune for their bets.

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Budget hotel rooms in Central Region Sarawak now costlier

SIBU: A number of budget hotels have been forced to increase room rates by 20 per cent to stay afloat after implementation of the minimum wage policy.

Sarawak Central Region Hotels Association chairman Johnny Wong Sie Lee told reporters yesterday that their members in Kapit and Mukah had revised their rates upward.

“However, in Sarikei, only a few members have increased their room rates, whereas for Sibu I believe members here will soon follow suit.

“With the implementation of the new policy, hotels with more than five employees are compelled to fork out an extra RM2,000 due to higher wages.”

Wong said smaller hotels were hard hit as they were already grappling with dwindling occupancy rate due to sluggish business.

He said this was among the issues raised and discussed during their committee meeting last week.

In the wake of higher operational cost, he reminded members not to undercut each other to stay afloat.

“That (undercutting) could only spell trouble and hurt the industry as it is not a healthy form of competition.”

Instead, he suggested, members should provide better services to their clients to ensure better business.

He reminded members with more than five workers to abide by the policy to avoid being nabbed.

Under the minimum wage policy, workers in Peninsular Malaysia earns a minimum of RM900 per month while those in Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan RM800.

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Proposed ‘Three Rivers Festival’ a major event for Kuching

The ever popular Pesta Kaul, Pesta Dalat and Pesta Balingian are set to become major events with the proposal for ‘Three Rivers Festival’.

The idea, which was conceptualised by Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, will see participation of the communities from Mukah, Dalat and Balingian in organising the event at all the three locations.

“A fund can be set up to organise these events and with bigger capital, it will turn these events into a major event and not just an event for the locals to gather,” said Taib when closing Pesta Balingian at Batang Balingian Waterfront yesterday.

Taib elaborated that having such event on a larger scale and involving participation of the people from around the area would be a great way to promote the economy in the area, while enhancing inter-community ties.

“Therefore a tourism fund for the ‘Three Rivers Festival’ can be set up and the festival can be done annually according to turns,” he said, adding that it was not impossible for towns such as Dalat to manage a crowd of 20,000 with help from the surrounding communities.

Earlier on, Taib in his speech said his politics of development should not be construed as only a change in terms of economic scale.

“Changes within the community are not literally based on economics, but we want the people to change their mindset towards lifting their family status for the better,” he said, reminding that there was no point in bringing development if the people did not benefit and take advantage of it.

Pointing to better road connectivity and communication as a tool that was underutilised, he said the people particularly in the rural areas should use the Internet and Wi-Fi technology to promote their business.

“We understand that there is not much population in the rural areas. We need the numbers for businesses to come and the area to grow,” he said.

This, according to Taib, was why various development projects had been planned, among them the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) where industries would be set up to benefit the locals through job opportunities that offered better pay.

“This formula is the best for Sarawak as our population is scattered all across the state, not to mention those in remote areas. It is impossible to gather everyone in one place or only in major cities,” he added.

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Turn Pesta Kaul Mukah into a major spectacle

MUKAH: Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud wants the annual Pesta Kaul Mukah to be organised on a bigger scale in future as it has proved its mettle to promote unity and harmony among the people.

Launching the festival at Pantai Kala Dana beachfront here yesterday, the chief minister noted that Pesta Kaul Mukah had also been able to indirectly transform the social, infrastructure and economic landscape of Mukah town and those in nearby areas.

He told those present that Mukah was no longer an isolated place or losing its people due to migration partly because of it.

“More and more people have come to Mukah to work. Rich investors have also come here to open up banks, factories, oil palm plantations and mills.

People also come here to further their studies at secondary schools and institutions of higher learning.

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Mukah all set for Pesta Kaul

MUKAH: Mukah is ready to host Pesta Kaul, the biggest and grandest annual Melanau festival after months of preparation.

Centred at the beautiful and scenic Kala Dana beachfront, the festival will not only showcase the Melanaus’ unique cultures and traditions but also the traditions and customs of other local communities as well as promoting business and trade activities.

It will also become a venue to disseminate current information on government programmes and policies aimed at improving the people’s income and well-being as well as to preserve and safeguard a united and harmonious multi-racial society.

The festival this year will kick off with a traditional ritual at Tugek, Kala Dana beach today.

Led by the local Melanau leaders and elders, this traditional ritual will be performed in accordance with the Kaul celebrated by their ancestors in the olden days before they embraced Islam, Christianity and other religions which came later.

The’Kaul Ritual’ is made possible with the completion of ‘serahang’ by expert weavers. This decorative ‘serahang’ is an important component of the ritual as it is used to place all offerings for their gods called ‘Ipuk’, in return for good health and personal safety.

This will be followed by a grand official opening ceremony to be officiated at by Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud tomorrow morning.

This ceremony which will feature a ‘serahang’ parade by Melanau leaders and elders as well as a cultural and heritage parade showcasing the unique Melanau traditions and cultures.

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Mukah Kaul expects to draw over 70,000 visitors this year

MUKAH: With the theme “Simply Unique”, this year’s Mukah Kaul at Kala Dana beach here from April 21 to 29 is expected to attract about 74,000 visitors, including foreign tourists.

This was the target set by event organisers during a recent committee meeting here.

Of the total estimate, some 70,000 visitors would consist of members of the public and tourists, while the remaining 5,000 would include VVIPs (50), department heads (350), community leaders (300), association and club leaders (100), participants of the event’s activity, sales and community stalls (3,000) as well as officials (500).

The nine-day festival will be packed with interesting activities daily including some new additions involving foreign participation.

Among these new additions are beautifully decorated river taxis that will serve as transportation throughout the event, special helicopter ride and exhibition on April 21-22, the “Elvis Presley Sarawak” showcase on April 25 and the Mukah International Beach Triathlon on April 29.

“Altogether, 39 types of activities have been lined up for the festival as at March 28, but they are still subject to latest amendment,” said the organising committee.

Meanwhlie, a kaul ritual will be performed at Tugek, Kala Dana beach on April 20 at 7am.

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Helicopter rides to be offered at Pesta Kaul

MUKAH: Helicopter rides will be on offer during Pesta Kaul Mukah at Pantai Kala Dana from April 21-29.

Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd will give visitors the chance to enjoy a bird’s eye view of Mukah town and the surrounding areas.

“Other main attractions include kite flying demonstrations by Bintulu Kite Flyers from Bintulu and performances by cultural troupes from Indonesia and other countries as part of our efforts to promote Pesta Kaul Mukah to the international community,” event organising chairman Mukah Resident Saudi Narani told a press conference yesterday.

He said the unique culture and traditions of the Melanau community would also feature prominently during the annual festival themed ‘Simply Unique’.

Local Melanau elders will perform the Mukah Kaul ritual at Tugek, Kala Dana beach on the morning of April 20.

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Pesta Kaul promises to be more comfortable this year

MUKAH: The Pesta Kaul organising committee will ensure that the event will not only be more successful but also more comfortable for visitors.

This year’s festival at the Kala Dana beach has been scheduled for April 21 to 29.

The response to last year’s event was said to be great but was not without certain shorthcomings, particularly the lack of parking spaces, which greatly limited access to the venue.

Organising committee chairman Saudi Narani said if Pesta Kaul was to be raised to international standard as suggested by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud during last year’s event, providing a certain degree of comfort to visitors must be considered.

He said comfort, among other things, included providing sufficient number of safe parking spaces.

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Sarawak's Traditional Festival Kaul To Be Turned Into International Festival

MUKAH (Sarawak) -- Kaul, a traditional festival celebrated by the Melanau living along the coast of Sarawak, will be turned into an international fiesta, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

He said in the past, Kaul was a ritual practice of the Melanau before the advent of Islam and Christianity.

The festival has brought together the alluring culture and way of life of the Melanau, who used to fish for a living, he said at the launch of Kaul in Kala Dana here Saturday.

"By 2020, we want Kaul to be an international festival that could bring together all Melanau cultures such as music, songs, musical instruments and clothing as successful as the Rainforest World Music Festival (in Santubong)," he added.

Taib said more locals would be trained and equipped with skills on Melanau arts and culture to enable the new generation to the keep the tradition alive, well and flourishing.

He said Kaul should also keep in steps with changing times without stifling the unique cultural characteristics handed down through the ages.

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Sarawak big co-operatives told to venture into tourism industry

MUKAH: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud yesterday called on big co-operative establishments to venture into the tourism industry in a big way to attract more domestic and foreign tourists to the state.

Additionally, Taib also proposed that all local tourism players should create a strong common brand name for their tourism products for easy identification by their prospective customers, especially those from overseas.

“It is imperative for all local tourism players to create a strong common brand name for their tourism products in order to become respected global players in the tourism industry.

“Additionally, local tourism operators and players should also think of merging their products and services with that of other industries, particularly the sago-based cottage industry in Mukah and other parts of Sarawak, to be offered at premium prices for greater income and revenue,” said Taib, stressing that the government is prepared to support big and reliable local wholesale tourism players by providing grants, professional training and promotional opportunities locally and overseas.

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