New species documented at Tawau Hills Park

TAWAU: A team of citizen scientists and avid wildlife enthusiasts carrying out a wildlife survey at Tawau Hills Park has documented new findings of lesser-known species of bats, frogs, birds inhabiting the biodiverse-rich rainforest sanctuary.

“The expedition has contributed significant findings noteworthy for the park. Up to date, there are more than 300 species of birds, 70 species of frogs and 90 species of mammals documented at the park,” said founder of 1StopWildlife Borneo, Shavez Cheema.

Speaking at the recent dinner reception hosted by Assistant Sabah Tourism Minister, Datuk Pang Yuk Ming in support for the expedition, Shavez said the wildlife survey was carried out by 1StopBorneoWildlife who are working closely with Sabah Parks on publishing a book on the Tawau Hills Park.

“It’s heartening to see strong interest, support and recognition from locals as well as foreigners on the importance to conserve and protect the natural environment and its inhabitants,” he added.

The team currently carrying out activities in documenting wildlife at the park during the 10-day expedition from Jan 23-31 also received assistance provided by experienced guides from local tourism company, Adventure Alternative Borneo on conservation work and developing new strategies for ecotourism in the park.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: New species documented at Tawau Hills Park

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China-Tawau direct charter flights on cards

TAWAU: Direct charter flights from China to Tawau are in the pipelines as the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Tawau is in the midst of compiling tour packages to attract Chinese tourists to stay a night in Tawau prior to visiting islands in Semporna; and help boost the local economy here.

Its president, Chia Seong Fatt, said the chamber held a meeting with Assistant Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Pang Yuk Min recently and according to Pang, the direct flight between China and Tawau is not a problem.

Chia in a press conference yesterday said the only challenges were to get 180 persons locally from Tawau to visit to China and a package for China tourists to stay overnight in Tawau.

He said the chamber would need to work together with tour operators in Semporna and Tawau to come up with tour packages that would attract China tourists to stay a night in Tawau for a direct flight to materialize.

Chia said the chamber would have to negotiate and coordinate with travel agents in Tawau and work out the packages to offer to the tourists in China.

He added Pang suggested the best time to plan the maiden flight would be the coming Chinese New Year holidays, from China to Tawau with the objective to promote local attractions and to test the response from both ends.

Subsequently to maintain and continue such route if it goes well and hopefully such effort will be able to improve the sluggish economy situation of Tawau to a certain extent.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: China-Tawau direct charter flights on cards

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AirAsia to launch direct flights from JB to Tawau

Tawau will be connected directly to Johor Bahru (JB) through AirAsia's four times weekly direct flights, beginning April 28, 2017.

In a statement Thursday, Head of Commercial for AirAsia Bhd, Spencer Lee, said AirAsia was the only airline that offered this direct flight.

"We aim to strengthen the connectivity within our network and the introduction of this route is a great example of our commitment," he said.

He said the seats for the new route were available for booking online at Airasia.com with promotional seats available from now until Feb 19, 2017, and between April 28, 2017 and Feb 6, 2018.

Continue reading at: AirAsia to launch direct flights from JB to Tawau

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Tourism academy to boost rapid growth of Sabah's tourism industry

TAWAU: The rapid growth of the tourism industry in Sabah will be boosted with the Kota Kinabalu Tourism Academy (KKTA) next year.

Higher Education Minister, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said the academy is now in the final stages of discussions and will offer diploma and certificate programmes in the field of tourism.

It will accommodate up to 400 students and cost between RM30 million to RM40 million.

“This is the promise of the federal government. We want to continue looking after the people of Sabah through education. Students who enroll in the academy do not have to worry about jobs because the tourism sector in Sabah is very wide,” he said.

He was speaking at a media conference after launching the Tawau Community College Culinary Arts Building yesterday.

He said the tourism academy aimed to enable more Sabahans to venture into the tourism industry in the state and hence, generate the local economy.

Meanwhile, Idris said the Culinary Arts programme at the college not only gave students skills but also improved their opportunities in seeking jobs.

“Do not underestimate community colleges because 97 per cent of the graduates are able to find work compared to other institutions of higher learning and I believe these graduates are able to contribute to the country’s progress,” he said.

At present there are 94 community colleges nationwide, including nine in Sabah. Ten more community colleges will be built throughout the country next year.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Tourism academy to boost rapid growth of Sabah's tourism industry

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Bornean elephant with backwards-pointing tusks found in Tawau

TAWAU: A Bornean bull elephant with its tusks pointing backwards was found near the Felda Umas plantation in Tawau yesterday.

The Sabah Wildlife Department has sent its Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) rangers to translocate the unique animal from the plantation.

Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan said this was the second elephant he had seen with tasks pointing backwards.

“It’s very unusual,” he said, adding that the elephant could be part of a herd from central Sabah that eventually moved towards the east coast.

Wildlife officials are discussing with other experts about the possible cause of the unusual tusks, including in-breeding.

Dr Sen said the bull elephant is among three pachyderms that the WRU is translocating from the plantation to an undisclosed location.

Department director William Baya said human-elephant conflicts have been on the increase in recent years at elephant habitat areas in the central and south eastern parts of Sabah, including Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Beluran, Lahad Datu, Tawau, Nabawan and Pensiangan.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Bornean elephant with backwards-pointing tusks found in Tawau

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Semporna - Sun, Sea and Food

Semporna is a district and also a town located in the Tawau division on the east coast of Sabah. In 2010, it was estimated that it had a population of around 133,16,400. It is a relatively new town and has an interesting history.

Semporna was founded, (possibly by mid 1887) soon after the British North Borneo Chartered Company established Sandakan and was initially settled by Chinese traders, most of whom were fleeing from Spanish attacks on the Sulu Sultanate.

Before been named as “Semporna”, this area was known as “Tong Talun” in the Bajau language or “at the end of the forest” in English. Soon, the name was slowly changed to “Semporna” (known as “Peaceful Place”) and which later became the permanent name for this place.

Semporna is located at the tip of the Semporna Peninsula around Lahad Datu Bay (also known as Darvel Bay), and is visited by tourists as a base for scuba diving or snorkelling trips to the islands around Semporna, one of which is the world renowned Sipadan Island or to the many resorts on Mabul Island.

The majority of the population here are Bajau, many of whom live in sprawling stilt villages over the water on the outskirts of town. Thousands of Bajau Laut (also known as Sea Gypsies or Pala’u) people live on the sea around Semporna. They are one of the few nomadic sea borne peoples of the world, and spend most of their lives on boats, finding a livelihood from the coral reefs in the area.

For some Bajau Laut people, the only time that their bodies spend a long time on land is when they are buried after death. The main ethnic minority populations in Semporna are the Kadazan and Chinese communities.

The majority of Chinese people in Semporna are from the Hakka dialect group.Today, the main tourist visiting the town are from mainland China and they are filling up the hotels and enjoying the many sandy beaches on the islands, while having their fill of cheap seafood.

Continue reading at: Semporna - Sun, Sea and Food

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Lauren Baillie: Let’s go, Borneo! Mabul and Sipadan

Door to paradise’s door took me 36 hours. Flying Auckland to Gold Coast then on to KL, to rush across the airport, parched grab a Starbucks and head to check in.

Despite not being allowed fluids through an airport the security guard looked at my cup and told me “water, OK!” I optimistically replied “coffee?” with a raised eyebrow, and he waved me through. Now I was back in Asia. 

My next flight from peninsula Malaysia, to Tawau, Sabah, I calculated myself to be the only tourist on the flight. I tried to bury my head further into my book whilst those around me coughed and spluttered into their bags, there is some things you will never get used to!

It was 10am in the morning by the time I arrived to Tawau and was greeted by a taxi driver holding my name. Feeling glamorous I hopped into his car where he assured me Semporna was a 20 minute drive, 20 minutes later he said, “just 20 minutes!” After an hour and twenty on dusty roads, passing plantations of coconuts, we arrived in the dirty port town of Semporna.

The boat to the island left in a few hours so I sought lunch. My few words of bahasa teamed with some pointing got me some vegetables and rice, a drink and a roti, lunch for all of about £1! The girl who served me giggled, again and again assessing my height as nearly double hers and embarrassed as she tested a few English words.

The dusty, dirty gateway camouflaged well the delights which were to be found one hour out to sea on a tiny sand bar island named Mabul. 

The long jetty led to a white sand beach, the wooden resort lined with palm trees. We were welcomed, shown to our rooms and then were served afternoon tea before making a beeline for the ocean. In the humidity, after a long journey the water was delightful, but at 31 degrees, more like a bath than a cool off.

The snorkelling was a glimpse of what was to come. Only metres from the shore the colourful coral was teeming with sea life.

From now on our every worry was taken care of. The dive schedules were written up for the following day, between every dive a buffet or snack and everyone was radiating positivity and paradise so the open plan dining hall became a place welcome to join anyone and discuss your latest underwater adventure.

It was also shark week so each night we were invited to watch a presentation about something topical, marine debris, sharks, rays and the importance of our oceans. 

For my second day of diving, my name was listed next to Sipadan, the world class site which had brought me to Borneo, the top spot of my diving bucket list since I first blew underwater bubbles. I stirred excitedly every hour before the 5:45 alarm where I took a few bites of breakfast and headed to the jetty. 

The ocean floor between Semporna and Mabul lies at some 60 metres below sea level, however between Mabul and Sipadan, it drops off into a channel of 2000 metres encouraging sharks, rays and unexpected delights to pass through. The current around the island also encourages these pelagic creatures, so there is plenty of reasons to be excited.

Sipadan used to be home to many dive schools, however in 1999 this was the reason for an international debate over who owned Sipadan; Malaysia, Indonesia or the Philippines. Shortly after it was deemed to be Malay in 2002, the schools were kicked off and it became a military base as well a sanctuary or both land and sea.

It’s white sands are thus patrolled by military, a short stretch of sand open to bikini clad divers between dives. 

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Lauren Baillie: Let’s go, Borneo! Mabul and Sipadan

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Proboscis monkey park to lure tourists to Sebatik

TAWAU: A Proboscis Monkey Mangrove Recreation Park is being built at Kampung Bergosong, Sebatik Island as part of efforts to attract more local and international tourists.

Sebatik assemblyman Datuk Abdul Muis Pichu said, at the moment, a walkway is being constructed to enable visitors to see the monkeys.

“We all know that the ‘Monyet Belanda’ (Proboscis Monkey) is one of the unique wildlife species found only on the island of Borneo.

Sebatik Island also has many monkey species and we want it to become a tourist attraction,” he said during a recent visit.

With the construction of the recreation park, Abdul Muis said he is confident it would be able to help generate the economy for the residents through new business opportunities such as selling handicrafts and traditional cakes.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Proboscis monkey park to lure tourists to Sebatik

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Semporna – Mabul

The ride from Tawau was only a few hours long. The whole way, the roadside scenery featured oil palms after oil palms. Quite a sad realization, but the whole of Borneo has proven to be similar thus far. People are making millions with the plantations, regardless of the loss of animal natural habitat and the environmental consequences of fertilizer abuse and monoculture.

As the bus pulled into Semporna, I again felt like this was a different world. This sea side town, famous for being the port to Sipadan that holds one of the best dive spots in the world, was filthy, with begging children and old ladies all around.

We held our packs close and started walking towards Scuba Junkie, who have a dive company, lodge and restaurant, and had been recommended as one of the better operators in town. We had not bothered checking where it actually was though, so we followed local’s directions, until we spotted a white person and started following him: Indeed he took us where we needed to go.

We signed up for a dive trip for the following day, and crossed the street to get settled at the hostel. We took two spots in a 10 bed dorm room, only 3 beds apart from ours in use. The room had AC, so it was really nice to lay down for a while and cool down. Once the sun came down, we set out to explore the town and find some food.

Soon we discovered that although the pub next door looked cosy and had some wonderful sounding western food on the menu, it was well beyond our price range. We instead opted for a place that looked very popular among the locals, and had some fried noodles, soup and roti.

Roti means bread, but the way they make it in restaurants is very thin and with your chosen filling. Similar to an Indian naan bread, yet thinner. It mostly comes with daal to dip it in. The food was great and we happily strolled back to our bunk beds and called it a day.

The alarm on my phone went off at 7am the next morning, disturbing sweet, cold dreams. The whole dorm room was also getting up and ready for going out into the ocean, most of them packing all their stuff as they would spend that night at Mabul, the island we had chosen to dive around.

We walked back to the same place we had eaten at the night before, to enjoy Roti Telur for breakfast. We then reported to the Scuba Junkie HQ, grabbed our gear and hopped into the boat. The sun was getting stronger but it was not unbearable, specially with the gentle sea breeze.

From the water, Semporna looked like a very picturesque sea side town, with all the colourful houses built over the water, and the fishing boats buzzing in and out. We passed a few green islands on the way out, big and small. The lucky ones still had some of the original rain forest, while others had succumbed to the palm oil reign.

When Mabul came in sight, we realized this was what paradise must look like. White sand beaches crowned with forest, and fancy accommodation built right on top of the water, mostly out of wood. We were guided to Scuba Junkie’s lodge there, where tea and coffee where waiting.

Again, the eating/pub area was beautifully constructed out of dark wood, and stood proud and tall among the matching cabins for the guests. We soon understood why so many people stay here and why it was so expensive to begin with. We promised to ourselves, that next time we come this way, it would be on a proper holiday and we would make it further to Sipadan and stay in this heavenly place.

I also thought of my friend Shalsee, how she would absolutely love this place, and lay like a lizard in the sun the whole day, moving only to play some volleyball and go in the water to cool down (the sun was ridiculously hot!)

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Semporna – Mabul

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Sabah safe, assures Sabah tourism minister

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun assured the people that Sabah is safe and to prove his point he will be visiting Tawau and Semporna today (Thursday).

"To show how safe Sabah is, the Federal Tourism Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen and I will be going to Tawau and Semporna tomorrow to let you know everything is safe, so please stop listening to rumours and put your trust in our security forces personnel," he said.

"We want to demonstrate in no uncertain terms that the place is safe for tourists to visit and I am sure Ministers would not want to risk their lives if really there is danger in Semporna or even any place.

"The fact that we are going there is a confidence in us and that life has gone back to normal," he said, after witnessing a cheque presentation by the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) for RM46,880 to the Royal Malaysian Police Welfare Fund at his office, here, Wednesday.

The cheque was presented by Matta Sabah Chapter Chairman, KL Tan, to the State Police Contingent Administration Department Head, SAC Noor Azam Jamaludin.

Masidi again reminded the people not to listen to rumours because a lot of the problems are caused by rumours which influence their work, citing panic buying of rice and food essentials recently.

"The worst thing that can happen is when people start believing in rumours which could perhaps be part of the intruders' strategy to make us fearful and then nobody would want to do their job," he said, adding that if that happens, then it's just a matter of time before the whole system, economy and political system collapse.

Continue reading at: Sabah safe, assures Sabah tourism minister

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Investigation on Borneo pygmy elephant deaths to complete soon

KOTA KINABALU: No stones are left unturned in investigating the death of 14 Borneo pygmy elephants at Gunung Rara Forest Reserve in Tawau, last month.

State Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib in giving the assurance to the people yesterday, also said they hoped to wrap up the investigation soon.

“I am still waiting for the full report from our office in Kinabatangan, which among others include results from the samples of soil and other items from the location, the type of poison and also the statements taken from villagers and planters in the area,” he said.

According to him, their investigation is framed under Section 429 of the Penal Code, for committing mischief by killing animals. The culprit faces a maximum jail sentence of five years.

“I have directed everyone to give this case a priority … we want to get to the bottom of the issue and hope investigation will be completed soon,” he said when asked on the progress of the investigation after launching Ops Selamat II at Suria Sabah here yesterday.

Meanwhile, Hamza explained that they are still waiting for the chemist report, which is expected to be completed soon.

“If there is any sign of criminal intent, we will not hesitate to take action against those involved and charge them in court.

“For now, we are giving our full focus on the investigation of the case,” he said.

Fourteen carcasses of Pygmy elephants were found middle of last month. The cause of their death is believed due to poisoning.

The WWF wildlife group estimates that fewer than 1,500 Borneo pygmy elephants exist, and they live mainly in Sabah and grow to about eight feet (245 centimeters) tall, a foot or two shorter than mainland Asian elephants.

Continue reading at: Investigation on Borneo pygmy elephant deaths to complete soon

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International Cultural Festival right platform to promote Sabah

TAWAU: The International Cultural Festival here is the right platform to showcase Sabah’s unique unity, peace and harmony enjoyed by its multi-racial and religious people.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman said apart from assisting to promote tourism such festival was also the best platform to continue preserving culture, particularly among the younger generation.

“I am very proud to see the spirit and commitment as well as involvement of the people from all walks of life what more many youths are participating to make this event a success,” he said at the opening of the third edition of the festival in the Municipal Council compound in Fajar here yesterday.

About 50,000 people attended the festival featuring cultural performances from Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and Syria as well as 25 sub-ethnic groups.

Musa said this was a positive sign for the nation’s future especially in the context of further galvanising unity, togetherness and harmony of the people from all backgrounds, religions and ethnicity in line with the 1Malaysia spirit.

According to him, the situation was what makes Sabah beautiful.

“This is the joy for us living in Sabah … we live in peace and harmony, we can sit down together and celebrate all the celebrations,” he said

Musa said it was also the aspiration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to see the people of Malaysia live in peace and harmony under the 1Malaysia concept.

Sabah was also proud since Najib had said that the State was among the states that can be the role model of the 1Malaysia concept.

“That is why we always called on the people in Tawau, Sabah and the whole country to ensure we continue to live in peace,” he said.

Musa also cautioned the people against falling into the trap of the opposition who only aimed at creating chaos such as through street demonstration, among others.

“We don’t want this unhealthy culture and what we want is to continue living in peace and enjoying good economic development,” he said, adding that the people in Sabah must be thankful for the sensitivity of the Prime Minister.

As for the State Government, Musa said it was taking various approaches including providing for a huge State Budget in order for the people to continue social and economic development that comes with peace and harmony.

“I am also amaze with the commitment of the organiser to invite international participation not only from this region but other countries from the Asia continents and Middle East,” he said.

Towards this end, he said the State Government welcomed the organiser’s efforts and initiative to take various kind of approaches in order to make the festival more attractive.

Three years ago, he said leaders from the district, namely Datuk Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan and Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh had discussed with him on creating something good for the people here to celebrate together just like in other districts such as the Kalimaran Festival, among others.

“So the Tawau International Cultural Festival was born,” he said, adding the festival had enabled the people to see various cultures of not only the various sub-ethnic groups in the state but also from other countries.

Continue reading at: International Cultural Festival right platform to promote Sabah

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Flights to Balikpapan from Kota Kinabalu, Kuching soon

Kota Kinabalu: Upcoming flights to Balikpapan via here and Kuching are not just commercially driven but in response to the Government's aim of improving connectivity between BIMP-EAGA countries, said MASwings' Vice President (Corporate Services and Communications), Yazid Mohamed.

"We are the first airline that is showing determination in linking BIMP-EAGA towns," Yazid told a press conference at Tawau airport after the media's familiarisation trip to Balikpapan.

However, MASwings would only proceed with the flights when it receives approval from the authorities. "We are still waiting for it.

The launch is planned for Dec. 16, subject to approval.

"When the flights are in operation and the response picks up sooner, we will try to increase frequency. Of course this is subject to aircraft time as well as the authority's approval."

He said MASwings was not experimenting in this regard.

"We are in this in the long run. The mere existence of MASwings is to provide the Government as an airline operator for rural air services.

CSR is embedded in MASwings."

Apart from commercial venture aspect as stated, Yazid also pointed out that their upcoming flights are intended to connect people among BIMP-EAGA member countries.

"It's about bridging all these towns to enrich its people, to promote a better understanding between them, to open their minds so that all of us can acquire more knowledge about each other in order to eradicate stereotyping and misunderstanding."

Spurring activities between these places and socio economic development was also among reasons.

On why Balikpapan was chosen, Yazid said it was suitable in terms of the technical capability of the aircraft and due to no existing services currently connecting these points.

"When there is no service, but potential in terms of market demand exists, why not provide services to nurture that demand?"

"KK and Kuching are giants in this region. There's a pull factor.

KK and Kuching will pull these people in which means one direction is already solved.

"When we commence the Kuching to Balikpapan flights, people in Balikpapan can go to Pontianak via Kuching."

The pattern of flight service is from Kota Kinabalu to Balikpapan, Balikpapan to Kuching, Kuching to Balikpapan, Balikpapan to Kota Kinabalu.

The Inaugural ex Kota Kinabalu and Kuching will be on the same day.

There will be four inaugurals in one day. "This is also subject to approval from various regulators in Malaysia as well as in Indonesia."

The flying time between KK and Balikpapan is approximately one hour 55 minutes. It is almost the same for Kuching, he said.

Continue reading at: Flights to Balikpapan from Kota Kinabalu, Kuching soon

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The natural wonders of Tawau Hills Park, Malaysia

TAWAU Hills Park, just 24 kilometres from the town of Tawau in Sabah on Malaysian Borneo, features some of the largest and smallest of nature’s species on the planet.

Initially established as a protected water catchment area for Tawau, the park’s rainforest attracts visitors for trekking, picnicking, camping and staying at chalets and lodges in the park. Several major rivers originate in the park and the Tawau River provides many of its pools and waterfalls – some of which are a three-hour hike away.

Surrounded by oil palm and cacao plantations, the rainforest, measuring 28,000 hectares, initially appears dense, but as my husband and I make our way along the well-marked paths our guide Ben begins to point out various species of mushrooms, flowers and the curious-appearing ‘pill box’ millipedes, which curl into a perfect sphere when they sense danger.

As we walk further into the forest, our guide tells us about this lowland dipterocarp forest, consisting of tropical lowland rainforest trees. The trees are highly-valued as a source of timber in Borneo and most of the forest below 500 metres has been previously logged. As you climb above 1,000 metres the vegetation transforms into a thick damp mossy forest.

Our walk today won’t be taking us to those heights, but it will still give us a taste of what the forest offers the visitor – many of whom are locals who come here for walks and picnics on the weekends.

Our hike to see one of the biggest things in the forest continues with our guide preparing us for what we might see on our trek. There are not only many fascinating examples of flora, including some amazing orchids – and Malaysia’s tiniest orchid! – but also fauna, such as long tailed macaques and the red leaf monkeys, although our guide warns us that it’s rare to see the elusive primates here.

Birdlife is also widespread with six of the eight species of hornbill in Sabah being found here. As our guide talks to us we can hear them in the trees, and we’re hopeful we’ll spot one in the wild today.

What we do spot first is a red-naped trogon, a bird under threat from loss of its habitat. It’s a particularly good bird to try to spot because it blends so well with the rainforest.

As we walk further on to the sound of countless cicadas singing their tune, we see a small rodent literally zipping between tree branches. It’s moving so fast we struggle to get a photo of it until it pauses on a branch momentarily. Our guide informs us that it’s a plain pygmy squirrel, a tiny brown squirrel endemic here and one of the smallest species in the world. Before we can focus our lenses, it’s off again darting between branches to comic effect.

As the trees get taller, our guide points out a giant yam with massive leaves. While we’re no big fans of eating yams, our guide tells us we must try the yam-flavoured ice-cream, while we’re in Borneo.

While we don’t see the rafflesia, the largest flower in the world, which grows here, nor the smallest orchid, the orchid podochilus, nor the phalaenopsis gigantean or ‘Elephant Ear Orchid’, native to Borneo, we soon arrive at the viewing platform for the world’s largest tropical tree.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: The natural wonders of Tawau Hills Park, Malaysia

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A Japanese perspective of WW2 Death March in North Borneo

KOTA KINABALU: The newly launched book ‘An End to a War’ has contributed tremendously to Sabah’s history during the Second World War.

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun when launching the publication at a leading hotel yesterday, described the book by the late, Ueno Itsuyoshi, a late draftee of the Second World War in North Borneo, as relating the story of the ‘Death March’ from the perspective of the Japanese.

“This is quite rare…it has allowed us to see the war from the perspectives of the Allied Forces and that of the Japanese soldiers who fought during the war” he said.

He added that the author has succeeded in showing that they too were victims of the war and that they too suffered and experienced death from the conflict.

As an example, he cited a part of the book that tells about the Japanese soldiers’ journey from Tawau to Kota Kinabalu, which was to act as their final fortress.

“More than 8,000 Japanese soldiers died, and the total was more than the total number of Australian soldiers who perished during the war,” he said.

Masidi went on to add that the book concerning the war serves as a reminder to mankind of the negative implications of a war.

“In war, no one wins except the arms dealers. They laugh all the way to the bank each time someone buys arms from them,” he said.

He added that Malaysians should consider themselves lucky as the country continues to flourish in peace and harmony.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: A Japanese perspective of WW2 Death March in North Borneo

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Tackling North Borneo on wheels

UNTIL last month, I wasn’t a fan of the pickup truck.

Given Kuching’s mix of winding colonial roads and single carriageways, this class of vehicle seemed too big and too menacing to be used within city limits – especially when you’re trying to outrun one in your much smaller car.

It took being rear-ended last month (for the third time), followed by an even timelier roadtrip through Sandakan, Sabah, in an Isuzu D-Max pickup, for me to re-examine that opinion.

Sponsored by Isuzu Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the Isuzu Dura-Mission 2012 convoy was made up of two ‘Monster’ trucks, an Isuzu Trooper and nine standard Isuzu D-Max — a combination of double-cab 4×4 manual and automatic vehicles with 2.5 and 3.0-litre diesel engines.

Our entourage comprised reporters and editors from East and West Malaysia and our mission was to travel from Sandakan to Tawau, Sabah, from February 14 to 18.

We were split in pairs so that we could take turns behind the stars of the show - the D-Max – making stops at the sanctuaries and reserves along Sabah’s eastern seaboard over the four days on the road.

Our journey started from Sandakan Hotel on February 14 with the traditional flag-off by recently appointed Isuzu Malaysia managing director and chief executive officer Kimitoshi Kurokawa and chief of operations, Daisuke Ishida. Our first destination was the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre nestled in the 4,300-hectare Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve.

Road runs through it

The road from Sandakan town through Sabah’s eastern seaboard is flanked by undulating hills of oil palm plantations as far as the eye can see.

With at least 102 oil palm estates in Sandakan recorded in 1997, today, nature reserves and plantations live next to each other, making for an interesting balance between conservation and economic development.

For the casual observer, the dotted rows of oil palm were calming to the tired urban eye, made even more so by the smoothness of the D-Max.

Evelyn Heng, event manager and PR representative for Isuzu Malaysia Sdn Bhd, pointed out that one of the trucks in the convoy was used by our BAT Team in their first expedition across Malaysian Borneo last year

They logged 3,903km over 21 days and the vehicle has since traversed the Pan-Borneo Highway several times over — testament to the D-Max’s hardiness.

My co-driver, Syukran, who drives a Malaysian hatchback at home, steered our manual pickup with practised ease, probably honed by the last Dura-Mission expedition Isuzu made in 2009 through Ba Kelalan to Lawas where the drivers truly experimented with D-Max’s off-road capabilities which, coupled with its fuel efficiency, are a source of pride for Isuzu.

Last year, Isuzu challenged the fuel-efficiency of its 2.5-litre 4×4 pickup by driving it from Bangkok to Malacca on a single tank of diesel. At the end of the four-day journey, the D-Max reached Malacca, covering a distance of 1,600km and consuming a total of 73.7 litres — a few short of its 76-litre tank capacity.

By comparison, the four-day journey from sanctuary to sanctuary like Sukau and the Tabin Wildlife Reserve along smooth roads was a piece of cake for many in our entourage.

For reporters and editors like Syukran who had a taste of the off-road adventure in 2009, they were itching to hit a dirt track in the D-Max again — something that would happen two days later on our way to the Tabin Wildlife Reserve.

On our first day, we were headed to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, 23km from Sandakan town.

Once there, we were greeted by the sight of adolescent and childlike orang utans, rappelling lazily down ropes, webbed through the surrounding forest reserve, before crouching around their breakfast – a careful preparation of fruits and multi-vitamins.

As tourists snapped pictures from the observation deck, the ‘people of the jungle’ were joined by their more wily cousins, the pig-tailed macaques, which took every opportunity to reach out a long, hairy arm to grab a bunch of bananas when they thought nobody was looking. (No, nobody was fooled!)

Despite this light-hearted moment in the animal kingdom, the orang utans at the sanctuary are in reality orphans. Their stories may vary from being rescued from logging sites, plantations, illegal hunting or people who kept these gentle beasts as pets but their future at the sanctuary is the same — to be trained to survive in the wild.

Their eventual release is done through a three-step process. From the nursery, orphaned orang utans between the ages of 1-3 years learn basic jungle skills like climbing trees from the wildlife ranger before graduating to other phases that would see them becoming less dependent on the rehabilitation centre for food and emotional support until they achieve total independence.

Since the centre’s inception in 1964, more than 100 orang utans have been released back into the wild.

Our next wildlife stop to Proboscis Lodge Bukit Melapi in Sukau on day two saw us navigating the tributaries of the Kinabatangan River in search of the wildlife that live in the forest reserve surrounding the river.

True to its name — the Proboscis Lodge — proboscis monkeys there live in massive numbers in the surrounding forest reserve, and can actually swim. We discovered this on a river cruise down the Menanggul tributary in search of local wildlife when our careful inspection of a dozing monitor lizard was interrupted by a splash from behind.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Tackling North Borneo on wheels

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MASwings’ air services to Kalimantan receive good response

TAWAU: MASwings’ air services to a number of towns in the Kalimantan region in Indonesia from Sabah and Sarawak to date, has received good response, says its chief executive officer Datuk Kapt Mohd Nawawi Awang.

He said since the air service from Kuching to Pontianak in west Kalimantan began about two weeks ago, and the latest from Tawau to Tarakan, in East Kalimantan on Feb 13, the response from both Indonesian and Malaysian customers had been very encouraging.

“If the first phase succeeds, we will request for bigger aircraft to provide services to Balikpapan, South Sulawesi and Menado in Indonesia as well as Davao and Zamboanga in the south of the Philippines.

“For Kalimantan, particularly, if we succeed in the first six months, maybe by year-end, we will continue with the flights from Tawau to Tarakan and Tawau to Balikpapan.

“I am very confident of success as just in the first and second weeks, bookings have been full for return flights,” he added.

Mohd Nawawi was speaking to reporters in conjunction with the dinner function to commemorate the visit by a 22-member delegation from Tarakan who arrived on the inaugural MASwings flight from Tarakan to Tawau. The delegation was headed by Udin Hianggio.

He said the MASwings air service to areas in Kalimantan provided a boost to economic development in that area and Malaysia as well as the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

He said following the formation of the BIMP-EAGA in 1994, MASwings was the first company to answer the call for member nations to provide an service network to meet the groupings objective of ensuring regional prosperity.

Continue reading at: MASwings’ air services to Kalimantan receive good response

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Tawau to hold international cultural festival

TAWAU: The second Tawau International Cultural Festival is expected to attract between 50,000 to 70,000 visitors, and tourist and tourism players are called to play their role and promote the many places of interest in the district.

Tawau Municipal Council (TMC) president Datuk Ismail Mayakob when confirming the festival date on February 11, said this year’s festival would showcase the traditional wedding ceremony of each ethnic group apart from their unique traditional dance that would be performed by the villagers themselves and not by performers.

“There are a lot of changes this year and 25 ethnic groups have already confirmed their participation,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

Ismail said apart from the many ethnic groups in Tawau, Johore Bahru and Sarawak had also confirmed their participation, while Indonesia and Brunei had given a positive response to the invitation,” he said.

He said in the morning, there would be a showcase and sales of traditional food and the highlights would be at night in front of the TMC building.

Continue reading at: Tawau to hold international cultural festival
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Feature Borneo Hotel: Promenade Hotel Tawau

Located at Kuhara, Promenade Hotel Tawau features business-class accommodation in the center of Tawau Division in Sabah. The hotel is the only 4-star business class hotel in Tawau. Besides being the tallest hotel in Sabah (standing at 16 storey high) and having the largest ballroom in the state (with a maximum seating capacity of 1,300 persons), Promenade Hotel Tawau also houses the biggest and only comprehensive gymnasium at its Leisure Centre on the 5th Floor. The hotel is located adjacent to Eastern Plaza Shopping Centre, the biggest shopping center in Tawau. The hotel, close to the town center, features rooms and suites with four-star amenities that cater to both leisure and business travelers. Guests staying here can enjoy great accessibility to places like Tawau Hill Park, Shan Sui Golf & Country Club, as well as world-class diving sites like Sipadan and Mabul Islands.

Click Here for more info

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Picture perfect day with Sea Gypsies in Semporna

Bajau children playing in a boat

Coral and sea creatures can be seen through the crystal clear waters

Tall coconut trees provide shade from the bright sunlight

Diving homestay where we stayed at Mabul Island

Bajau family relaxing during sunset on Maiga Island

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to Azrol Azmi and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

By Azrol Azmi

If you are planning an island resort getaway this coming school holidays in March, look no further than Semporna and its surrounding islands, which offer stunning white sandy beaches and picturesque views.

Imagine crystal clear waters, long stretches of white sandy beaches, cool breeze blowing from the sea and tall coconut trees providing shade from the bright tropical sun as you unwind on one of the islands.

Semporna, a town located in Tawau division on Sabah's east coast, is inhabited mainly by ethnic Bajau Laut, also known as Sea Gypsies, many of whom live in sprawling stilt villages above the water or in traditional Lepa boats.

Semporna is a gateway to the some of the best dive sites in the world which are situated about an hour's boat ride away.

Among the islands that can be visited are Mabul, Kapalai and of course, Sipadan surrounded by the Sulawesi Sea which needs no introduction to avid divers from around the world.

There are other islands with equally fascinating dive sites. Tourism Malaysia is working hard to promote the lesser-known but equally beautiful dive sites in Sabah such as Si Amil, Mantabuan, Sibuan and Bohey Dulang.

As many as 101 dive spots have been identified by a team of divers who hope to bring greater attention to Sabah's other dive site jewels. These sites are listed in the Sabah 101 Dive Treasures brochure.

I recently went on a photo expedition with a group of friends with the same interest to capture the beautiful scenery at some of these islands.

We started our journey driving from Brunei Darussalam to Kota Kinabalu before catching a flight from Kota Kinabalu International Airport to Tawau Airport, (which is the nearest airport to Semporna) before proceeding on an hour's drive to Semporna town in a tour bus. Enquiries at the airport revealed that public buses and taxis are available to transport people from Tawau to Semporna at a reasonable fee.

In Semporna, we made our way to the public jetty where our friend from Tawau, Muslianshah, who oversaw our stay during our photo expedition, awaited with a boat ready to take us to our first island, Maiga.

We made a quick stop at Bohey Dulang island to take a closer look at the Bajau or Sea Gypsies. We learnt that the Bajau community made their living from fishing and farming seaweed which they sell in Semporna.

Maiga is not well-equipped to receive tourists as the island does not have the basic amenities of running water and electricity. We were told that we would be "camping out" but we actually slept in a makeshift hall built by the Bajau.

We visited other islands before finally staying in Scubajeff-Sipadan diving homestay at Mabul Island, which is one of the more popular islands among diving tourists and beachcombers.

Mabul is well-equipped to receive tourists and even has a resort as well as several diving homestays to cater for "budget" divers.

Mabul is situated just 25 minutes from Sipadan. Running water and electricity are available on Mabul and a few shops selling everyday items can be seen in a small village populated by the Bajau.

More photos can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/azrolazmi and look for Semporna set.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Weekend
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