Danum Valley leads in rainforest research
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2010
Kota Kinabalu: The Danum Valley field centre is now regarded as a leading and influential tropical rainforest research establishment in the region, thanks to the work done under the South-East Asia Rainforest Research Programme (SEARRP) in the last 25 years. "Globally, it is one of the top three facilities of its kind after La Selva in Costa Rica and Baro Colorado Island in Panama," said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman when witnessing the fifth renewal of the programme through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked here. SEARRP, which sees the collaboration between UK's The Royal Society and Danum Valley Management Committee in conducting research in Danum Valley - a 43,800ha ...

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MASwings integrates ticketing operations at Sandakan airport
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2010
SANDAKAN: Effective tomorrow (July 29), Malaysia Airlines and MASwings will cease their operation at the Sandakan town office and instead move the entire operation, including ticketing operations, to Sandakan Airport.This initiative follows after the successful integration and relocation of both its town offices’ operations in Tawau and Bintulu to the respective airports last year. With the consolidation exercise in Sandakan airport, ticketing and related services previously held at the town office will move to Sandakan Airport. The operating hours are from 7.15am to 7.15pm, from Monday to Sunday including public holidays to ensure customers’ travel needs are taken care ...

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The Largest International Jewellery Fair in East Malaysia is Back
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2010
In this coming August, be indulged by the Malaysia International Jewellery Fair (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah), from 6 -8 August 2010, 11am to 8pm, at Star City Conference & Events Centre. Sabah will once again be the centre of attraction to jewel enthusiasts with the return of this event and is expecting the participation of more than 10,000 international visitors and industry players. Malaysia International Jewellery Fair (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah), also known as the largest international jewellery fair in East Malaysia, is featuring over 100,000 pieces of world premium jewelleries, all presented by exhibitors from various jewellery exporting countries such as Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, ...

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Taipei dancers steal show at Fest
Date Posted: 27 Jul 2010
Kota Kinabalu: Taiwan were voted overall best and won the Chief Minister's award in their first outing at the 5th Sabah International Folklore Festival 2010 Competition at the Sabah Culural Centre in Penampang Saturday night. To add glory to an ecstatic night, their lead dancer, Ms Tu Meng Cheah, of the Ou Yang-Hui-Chen Art Dance Company , took the Best Female Dancer Award while the Best Male Dancer Award went to Romania's Nita Launat Nicuson. It's no surprise the Taiwanese won hands down. Most of the dancers are graduates of Dance Departments of top universities in Taiwan, many of whom are champion dancers in national dance competitions as well as had vast exposure in Asia-Oceana ...

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Endangered otter resurfaces in Sabah
Date Posted: 26 Jul 2010
KOTA KINABALU: The hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana) – the world’s most endangered otter species – has been “rediscovered” in the Deramakot Forest Reserve in Sabah. It was assumed to be “non-existent” in the state for the last 100 years. The species was rediscovered via trap cameras in the forest, giving fresh hope in the conservation of critically endangered wildlife in the state. Wildlife Department director Dr Laurentius Ambu said the discovery showed how fortunate they were in terms of wildlife and nature. “This is great news for Sabah. These findings boost the conservation of this endangered otter internationally, as historically, ...

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Kampung Sukau set to be Kinabatangan’s new ‘nucleus’
Date Posted: 26 Jul 2010
KOTA KINABALU: Residents of Kampung Sukau themselves used to call the village a ‘sleepy hollow’ as the settlement was left in limbo and away from the development mainstream. OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED: Musa (third right) officiates at the ground-breaking ceremony for Pekan Baru Sukau at the compound of Perkasa Realty building. — Bernama photo However, through the efforts of the state government and Sukau State Legislative Assembly representative Saddi Abdul Rahman this laid back village would soon ‘bloom’ into a small town. Kampung Sukau, located in Kinabatangan district on the Sabah east coast, is undergoing a transformation in terms of its landscape and ...

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Hong Kong Children’s Choir amazes crowd
Date Posted: 26 Jul 2010
KOTA KINABALU: A group of 58 lively and highly talented children from the Hong Kong Children’s Choir (HKCC) staged a one-night only fund-raising performance at the Star City Convention Hall on Saturday night. The Hong Kong Children’s Choir performing on Saturday night. The performance was a resounding success earning a standing ovation from the crowd after the group performed their last song of the night – Sayang Kinabalu. According to the choir’s music director, Kathy Fok, the group has specially prepared this song for months just for this performance in Kota Kinabalu. The choir has performed in Singapore prior to arriving here on Friday afternoon, making ...

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Hundreds attend forum for a greener Sabah
Date Posted: 26 Jul 2010
LAHAD DATU: Some 600 locals including villagers from Sinakut, the area earmarked for the proposed 300 megawatt coal power plant, turned up at a forum for a greener Sabah, here yesterday. The public forum at SJK © Siew Ching kicked off with students reciting to the audience the importance of a clean environment and why everyone should protect the state’s rich biodiversity. WWF-Malaysia’s Borneo Programme chief technical officer Dr Rahimatsah Amat, WWF-Malaysia marine biologist Nina Ho and Sabah Environmental Protection Association (SEPA) Sandakan chairman Charles Chow presented papers at the event. Rahimatsah touched on the Detailed Environmental Impact ...

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Hollywood icon accepts Rosmah's call to see the real Malaysia
Date Posted: 26 Jul 2010
Kota Kinabalu: Hollywood icon Robert De Niro is coming to Malaysia at the behest of the wife of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Rosmah Mansor. Rosmah told Daily Express in an exclusive interview that De Niro, who has won Academy awards for Best Actor (Raging Bull) and Best Supporting Actor (Godfather 2) had expressed a desire to visit Malaysia to see for himself what the country was all about. According to her, people outside Malaysia have an information misconception about Malaysia, especially in New York, and this needed to be addressed. Rosmah said the opportunity to do so came when she and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak met De Niro at a Malaysian function ...

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Help for Sabah artists to go international
Date Posted: 23 Jul 2010
KOTA KINABALU: The Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry will help to promote Sabah artwork and artists at international events. A painting by Taiwanese artist Ou Yang Chien Hua (second right) at the Folkart Painting Exhibition. According to Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Bolkiah Ismail, the ministry will be working closely with the Sabah Art Gallery director Datuk Yaman Ahmad Mus to find ways to promote local arts as well as artists internationally. “Our artists are as good if not better than the international ones. We have a lot of talents here and it would be good to promote them abroad,” Bolkiah said. “They are already well known ...

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