Rubber seeds

The Sibu By-election

2010-05-24T07:12:00.017+08:00

Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew, former 5-term MP for Sibu and former Deputy Transport Minister passed away after a short illness on April 9. His death triggered a by-election never seen in Sibu's 100-year history. Lau was a flamboyant accountant, businessman and politician.A lot of people didn't like him when he served Sibu as the municipal's chairman. But he initiated many changes and brought about much development to this little town on the bank of the mighty Rajang River.To be fair, if it was not for his commitments and contributions, Sibu would not be what it is today.Personally I best remember him as a friend when we played mahjong and also watched a movie together in his house....28 years ago.The above picture was taken last November when there was no visible sign of him suffering from liver cancer.

Sarawak Head of State Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin openly wept when he came all the way from Kuching to pay his last respect to the late Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew. Lau's widow Datin Janet Lau and daughter Tammy were sitting next to him.

Although in the beginning he said he would groom young people and give the chance to others in DAP to contest in the by-election, the party eventully still wanted Wong Ho Leng to contest.The charismatic and sometime fiery Ho Leng is Sarawak DAP chairman and also state assemblyman for Bukit Assek.

Sarawak United People's party (SUPP) president Tan Sri Dr George Chan (left) in below picture officially announced the BN/SUPP candidate for the Sibu by-election, Robert Lau Hui Yew (right) on April 28. Also in the picture was Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, Sibu SUPP chairman and Sarawak Second Finance Minister. Hui Yew has been a personal friend for more than 15 years...we used to go for photography outings before.

After the successful filing of their nomination papers...Independent Narawi Haron (left) BN's Robert Lau Hui Yew (middle) and DAP's Wong Ho Leng (right)

Supporters from both side of the political divide on nomination day.

On nomination day on May 8, every one looked so confident of winning the by-election.What went wrong? I could easily list down 10 good reasons...but who will listen?, after all it's not my job as well.

Accompanied by BN candidate Robert Lau Hui Yew,Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib waved to Sibu voters at Channel Road on May 13.

It was Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's 3rd visit to Sibu Central Market in 4 months! What is so special about this market? It is the biggest market and perhaps also the best managed and maintained market in Sarawak (some also claim it is the biggest in Malaysia) The market was built in the 90s when the late Datuk Robert Lau was the chairman of Sibu Municipal Council.

PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anuar Ibrahim, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang and PAS deputy president Nasaruddin Mat Isa...announced the formation of Pakatan Rakyat Sarawak to fight the Sibu by-election as a common front.

"The Lion of Jelutong" Karpal Singh, his son Gobin Singh Deo and MP for Jelutong Jeff Ooi also visited Sibu Central Market. Like all visitors to the market,they were impressed by the chicken wrapped in newspaper.

DPM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin made 4 trips to Sibu during the by-election. He was seen here with Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and others to launch the national unity week. On the same night Taib also announced a 50% reduction on land premium...but it came too late and did not make any impact on the by-election.

PM Najib did not lead the Tua Pek Kong procession as earlier planned. He came and went in just 3 minutes as alledged by DAP advisor, Lim Kit Siang (below) who had waited infront of Sibu Tua Pek Kong Temple with other DAP leaders to welcome the Prime Minister.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Ong Yen Yen said it was her first visit to an Iban longhouse. She came to Sibu to help campaign in an Iban longhouse in Bawang Assan area.

Alaric Soh Productions did it again.It successfully organised the Miss Tourism Intercontinental 2010 in Miri. He brought the contestants to Sibu for a preview and charity dinner. During their 3-day stay in Sibu the girls posed for more than 30 photographers in a model photography contest organised by Sibu Photographic Society. Miss Venezuela Myriam Janeth Abreu Medina (above and below) was crowned Miss Tourism Intercontinental 2010.

Miss Japan Saemi Masuda (left) and Miss Korea Hannah Choi (right) were crowned Miss Friendship.

Organiser of Miss Tourism Intercontinental 2010, Alaric Soh reading The Star with Miss Hong Kong Liu Ya Ling (left) and Miss Taiwan Chen Pei Ying (right).

Miss Malaysia, Darcia Marselynna from Miri. She won the subsidary title "Miss 1Malaysia"

Instead of seeing and covering politicians campaigning every day at the Sibu Central Market...these beautiful girls from 33 countries really brought relief to both the hawkers and also the journalists covering the by-election.

Goodies for the longhouse people....thousands of bags filled with packaged food were sent by boats and 4-WD to longhouses. Did other Sibu voters get anything?

The final night of campaigning...DAP managed to attract a crowd of more than 10,000 people to their Super Saturday Rally.

DAP conducted its own tallying of votes at their headquarters with their agents on the ground reporting back the results from each polling centre.

Before 7 pm, DAP leaders and supporters were already confident of winning the by-election as unofficial results already put them in the lead. But official counting of the votes suddenly slowed down and then came to a complete halt.

Tension ran high between DAP leaders and officials from the Election Commission when vote counting was stopped without any explanation at the Sibu Civic Centre.

The final boxes of postal votes eventually arrived at the Sibu Civic Centre at 22.40.......

.....and the final tally....Ho Leng won by a slim majority of 398 votes. Hui Yew garnered 18,447 votes and Narawi only got 232 votes.

Finally, after more than 2 hours' delay, the winner was declared.

Hui Yew was gentleman enough to congratulate Ho Leng...and he came alone.

DAP secretary general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng congratulating Ho Leng before a press conference attended by more than 20 journalists and photographers.

The loser also held a press conference...it was a totally different atmosphere as you could see from their facial expressions.

The gang of 4 got together again after the by-election was over and we had a big feast for 4 continuous nights.The final night was in a posh hotel room where we had a 3-kg "Soon Hock" and a suckling pig, among others.

March Highlights

2010-03-30T22:51:00.012+08:00

VIPs reading The Star's Sarawak Edition after its launching on March 7 at The Spring in Kuching.

A kiss to remember on International Women's Day.

He said: no inspiration yet on the date of the state election.

It's fun and an forgetable experience being invited to lunch with Iban farmers in their padi field.

Sarawak Timber Association (STA) making its annual donation to independent private Chinese schools in the state.

At least someone who cares...financial and medical aids to the Penan of Ulu Baram from corporate and medical bodies.

3 sisters from a poor family studying under a candle light...just 10 km from Kuching City.

Two days before he was appointed assistant minister in the Chief Minister's office, Tang Joo Phoi visited this 12-year-old girl who lives with her mother and 2 younger sisters in a small wooden hut near Kuching.

Unfinished business...Sarawak Head of State Tun Salahuddin stopped to listen to Dr. Mahadir, the eldest son of the late Sulaiman Daud, while wearing socks.

Alfred Jabu meeting his former boss, Tun Rahman. On his right is Michael Menyin.

Tun Rahman Yakub (middle) and his young wife (right) sharing a joke with their friend Datuk Simon Maja (left) .Overheard their conversations..... Simon: Tun, you are still very healthy and strong. Tun: Ask my wife if I am still strong.

So many rumours about this man...one thing for sure is he is not moving around with a dozen body guards.

Sarawak Head of State watching the Rajang River Regatta with family memebrs and state ministers

Iban maids in colouful costumes dancing for ministers at a longhouse in Tamin, 57 km from Sibu.

Have been covering CM's functions from Sibu to Mukah to Kuching.

Thronged by reporters whenever and wherever he goes.

The new president of the Photographic Society of Sibu, Steve Ling.

Bick Yee, one of our favourite models posing for a recent photography competition.

Someone I know since she was 4 years old....now already a gorgeous lady.

These are our usual drinking buddies

Vietnamese friend, Larry (right) with members of a Filippino band at Hijau Fun Pub, RH Hotel.

A hectic week in PJ

2010-01-23T21:48:00.016+08:00

10 of us, all new employees of The Star Publications (M) Bhd, were flown over to the company's headquarters in Petaling Jaya for a week of orientation. The above photo is the impressive Menara Star at Section 16 Petaling Jaya.

We were put up in Eastin Hotel, right next to Menara Star. Our day started at 9 am and ended usually around 6 pm, except for Monday when the Group Chief Editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai treated us to diner at Sri Hartamas and also on Thursday night when Executive Director Ng Beng Lye treated us to another dinner before we visited the Star Media Hub at Shah Alam.

Executive Director Mr. Ng Beng Lye welcoming Team Sarawak at Menara Star.

Group Chief Editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai briefing us on the Star's layout.

David Yeoh, Star's Managing Editor was with us most of the day.

This is M. Raja, the Star's Sarawak boss. We were also classmates in Sacred Heart School, Sibu.

Raynore Mering, Journalist based in Kuching.

Rafidah Aziz? No no...she is our colleague based in Miri. She looks so familiar to me.But I just couldn't remember where I had seen her until she mentioned about Lamin Dana Resort in Mukah. Diana Rose is the owner of the resort which also doubles as a Melanau cultural village. Diana previously also worked for 7 years for the Star as Journalist based in KL and Kuching.

Vanes Devindran, Journalist based in Kuching.

Zora Chan, Journalist based in Kuching.

The Star Group also owns 3 popular radio stations, Red FM, 988 and Suria.

Briefings at the radio stations before we met up with their popular DJs.

This is hot and sexy Aly (above)who runs the Eleven2Three music show. She admitted we scare the hell out of her when our group of 14 people watched her broadcasting live.

We also visited Star's office at Putra Jaya. The Journalists and Photographers here specifically cover events and happenings in the federal administrative centre.The lady at right is Mazwin Nik Anis, Putra Jaya Bureau Chief.

A group photo taken with the Prime Minister's office in the background.

We were also invited to the preview of MStar, a Bahasa Malaysia newspaper to be published by Star Publications soon.The paper will hit the streets on February 28 and initially it will be distributed free in the Klang Valley.

We were all very impressed with the RM500 million Star Media Hub at Shah Alam. This is where the newspapers and the group's other magazines are printed. The Star is the largest English daily in the country with 300,000 copies being printed every day. The machines here are so efficient and fast that it only takes slightly more than an hour to finish printing the 300,000 copies! Star Publications also publishes Kuntum,Galaxie,Flavours and Shang Hai. Star's other printing plant is located at Bayan Lepas, Penang where it prints the Star's Penang Edition.

Our group also attended a 2-day intensive workshop on Social Media Journalism conducted by Anita Devasahayam and Julian Matthews of Trinetzen Media. It is very much a hands-on workshop where we all learn the skills in gathering, analysing and disseminating news.

Andre (left) is a new Photographer with the Star in Kuching. At right is Anita. Andre's father, the late Rapaee Kawai or more popularly known as Apai Star, was one of the most senior press photographers working with The Star before his untimely demise last May 21st. He was the first Sarawakian Photographer sent to cover the 1st Malaysian Everest expedition and the first Malaysian Press Photographer to use a Canon DSLR worth RM120,000 for the Everest expedition.

And this is Mek Zhin, also a new Journalist attending the workshop but she is based in PJ.

We were "graduated"!......a group photo at the end of the workshop. My group,including Raynore,Mek Zhin and myself won the grand prize in the final exercise which required us to present on power point a paper on social media journalism which we can execute.The prizes include some books written by renown Journalists.

Isn't she cute? This cat was captured on camera at Putra Jaya. Can any one offer a good answer as to why a car key was hanging on her neck?

More photos of Kampua "Dai Ko" to share

2010-01-16T08:31:00.006+08:00

I go to this kopitiam at Mission Road where this kampua noodle stall is located quite regularly with my photographer buddies. The stall owner and his wife make very nice kampua, chin tong mien and tan hoon. He happily allowed me to photograph him one morning after I asked for his permission. Business is good especially in the morning.

The week in pictures

2010-01-16T07:19:00.009+08:00

Datin Fatimah Abdullah is without doubt, currently the most powerful woman in Sarawak's politics. She holds 3 Assistant Minister's post as Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister Office, Assistant Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Assistant Minister of Women Development. I went along with her to visit 2 banana farms in Durin area recently.She is extremely friendly and approachable.

What are the men laughing at? Hey, you can't even hold a banana correctly!

SMC staff led by its Chairman and some councillors had an hour of group exercise at the Town Square one early morning.They should do it more often instead of just twice a year!

All except one were reappointed to Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) on January 11, 2010. Deputy Chairman Daniel Ngieng (above) took the oath and at below picture, Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh congratulating Datuk Tiong Thai King (middle) on his reappointment. At right is council secretary, Hii Chang Kee.

Miss Photogenic Photography Contest & Miss Sarawak 2010 Contest

2010-01-11T20:25:00.010+08:00

Miss Sarawak 2010 Lau Sing Yee from Sibu

First runner up Ella Yee Siaw Boon from Kuching

Second runner up Loh Ing Ting from Sibu

She won rm3,000 cash and prizes worth more than rm3,000

A new beginning

2009-12-29T12:35:00.008+08:00

I will begin a new chapter in life comes January 4, 2010. I am joining Malaysia's largest English daily, The Star, as its full time reporter based in Sibu.

While in lower secondary school Datuk Clement Hii and I had started contributing to The Borneo Bulletin to earn some extra cash. The Borneo Bulletin was a Brunei based English weekly very popular in East Malaysia in those days.Both of us ended up working with the now defunct Sarawak Herald after leaving school.The ill-fated paper only survived for about 3 years. Later I joined The Borneo Bulletin while Datuk Hii served as the Editor-In-Chief of The Borneo Post. He went on to have his own paper, The Malaysian Mirror and also published a host of magazines,covering politics and development in Sarawak , Sabah and Brunei.

Fast forward to 2008. In November of 2008, while having a drink together at Kuching Hilton, Datuk Hii disclosed to me that he was in the process of joining the board of The Star. I was surprised, but I believed in his words because of his earlier successful business manoeuvres especially in the listing of Segi University College which made him the CEO and his entry as Group Managing Director of another listed company, Ecofirst Consolidated Bhd.

Datuk Hii made national headlines when he was made Deputy Executive Chairman of The Star in January 2009. He also became the 2nd man from Sibu, Sarawak, to helm an influencial national daily. The 1st man is Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King who controls the largest Chinese daily in the country, Sin Chew Jit Poh.

I was invited to contribute to The Star around March this year. From May onwards,each month The Star's Metro section publishes 3-4 feature stories I wrote about people,culture and tourism in Sarawak and Sabah.

In October I attended an interview in Kuching for the post of Journalist after the management decided to publish The Star Sarawak Edition in early 2010. Subsequently I was accepted and will report to duty on January 4, 2010.

It has been some 20 years that I have not worked as a salary man. It is going to be a challenging job but I will strive to be a reporter with conscience, writing without fear or favour.

Happy New Year to all friends and readers here. May you be blessed with good health,good luck, good fortune and happiness throughout the year and beyond.

The above picture was taken with Datuk Hii when we were at the Sarawak Herald.

Reunited after 40 years

2009-12-29T09:27:00.014+08:00

Graduation group photo taken at the end of 1969. Our class actually had 53 students, but only 45 sat for the primary six examination because 8 of them could not make it due to family problems.

27 classmates of class of 69 of Dung Sang Primary School turned up last Saturday evening (26/12) for our 2nd reunion in 40 years. The last reunion was 10 years ago, also in December, 1999. This time we had several classmates whom we had not met since leaving primary school 40 years ago.Together with us were 3 former teachers and Chairman of the school board of directors.

Hii Yii Ann was in awe to see teacher Mr. Wong Teck Sing still looking young! Yii Ann is a successful businessman with operations in Malaysia and PNG.

Teacher Madam Ngu Ing Soong (seated right) is now 80 years old. She is seen here greeting her former colleague Mr. Lau Hing Tung. Also seated are teachers Mr. Wong Teck Sing and Kapitan Ting Lung Pew.

Trying to identify each other....most of us have never met Madam Wong Swee Toh since leaving primary school. From right: Andrew Wong, Wong Leh Hee, Wong Swee Toh, Wong Pak Leung, and Wong Tiong Kai. Andrew is Operations Manager with San Hin Group of companies based in KK, Sabah. Pak Leung is now with Nice Construction, Sibu. Tiong Kai is CEO of Laku Management based in Miri.

Sisterly hug...Wong Yiun Sien and Wong Swee Toh.

From right: Ling Ung Moi (with United Daily Press in Miri) Wong Swee Toh ( in Marudi ) Wong Yiun Sien (With Samling Group in Miri) Tie Cheng Huong (Sibu) and Wong Leh Hee (Miri).

From right: Lee Leh Kiong, Hii Leng Kiong and Wong Hua Ing...all in Sibu.

From left: Cheng Toh Kwong ( school headmaster in Durin) sharing a joke with Ling Ung Moi, Wong Tuon Kai, Andrew Wong and Wong Sing Chuon (school headmaster in Sibu).

Toh Kwong (left) trying to remember the names of these 3 female classmates.

From right: Ting Nguk Ting (Sibu), Tie Cheng Huong and Lau Hieng Mee (Brunei).

Had a fun but difficult time trying to identify each other in the old photo.

Wong Pak Leung updating contact information of all classmates. At right is Hii King Fong (sibu).

Seated from right are Wong Tai Ton, Ling Kuok Seng , Ngu Wu Loong and Wong Sie Ping. Standing are Thomas Ting , Andrew Wong and Cheng Toh Kwong.

Lau Sie Hee rushed back to attend the reunion from Australia. She is a successful QS based in Kuching.

Wong Sing Chuon addressing the classmates and teachers before dinner started.

Lots of cheers, lots of laughter and very good interation..............

More than enough good food and free flow of beer and drinks.

Each table had an expensive empurau fish.

These 3 guys were not only classmates but also neighbours. They are from right, Steven Tiong, Wong Tiong Kai and Wong Ngie Chiok. Steven has his own business in Sibu and Ngie Chiok is with the oil and gas industry in Miri.

And amidst the laughters and joy, we didn't forget to contribute to our alma mater.Rm50,000 was raised from all classmates for the school extension. A new class room will be named after Class of 1969. Steven Tiong, organizing chairman of the reunion dinner was seen here presenting the cheque to Penghulu Wong Kah Sing who is Chairman of the school Board.

The school board and former teachers were all impressed by our donation. Beside heaping praises on us, they also urged other former students to donate generously to the school building fund.

Age is catching up, very fast, on all of us. How many more 10 years do we have? Several of us who married young have already become grandfather and grandmother! And those serving in the public and private sectors will retire in a few years' time. The suggestion that we should hold reunion more regularly, perhaps bi-annually, has been well received. I take this opportunity to wish all former primary school classmates happy new year, good health and may god bless you and your family always.

Serious erosion and siltation on the Rajang

2009-12-07T10:34:00.009+08:00

Will the longest river in Malaysia,the 560km Rajang,be chocked to death by tons and tons of wood debris, domestic and industrial wastes as well as the serious siltation?The above pictures were taken along the Rajang near Kapit, Kanowit and Sibu. Full story in The Star http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/12/7/southneast/5242562&sec=southneast

Malay and Iban outnumber Chinese students in rural schools

2009-11-15T16:10:00.008+08:00

Last month I travelled to Maludam in Betong Division, specifically to meet the headmaster of SJK Chung Hua, Maludam, Mr. Lai Ngit Sin ( red shirt in above photo). While there I was very well taken care of by Mr. Lai who is extremely friendly and hospitable.Two days ago Mr. Lai together with some of his colleagues and also a group of primary six pupils paid a brief visit to Sibu.I was very happy to have an opportunity to reciprocate his hospitality. With them were also the headmaster, teachers and some primary six pupils of SJK Chung Hua,Roban.

The Sibu tour was educational and also fun for the group.We visited Jubilee Park, Civic Centre's Heritage Museum, Lau King Howe Hospital Memorial Museum, Wong Nai Siong Memorial Garden and an ostrich farm.

The majority of the group's 22 pupils are Malay and Iban who study in the 2 rural Chinese schools.Every where we went people were amazed by these Chinese-speaking bumiputra, each of them also has a Chinese name.

Here are some photos showing the bumiputra students at SJK Chung Hua, Maludam.

A story highlighting SJK Chung Hua, Maludam, has recently been published in The Star. For further reading please click the following link.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/15/education/5074846&sec=education

Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort

2009-11-14T09:31:00.007+08:00

The success story of a self-made millionaire who owns and operates the Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort at KM36, Miri-Bintulu Road. (Photos 3, 4 & 5 are provided by the resort)

To learn more about Henry Law and his resort, click the following link.

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/11/14/lifetravel/5063984&sec=lifetravel

Sleeping with 4 beautiful girls

2009-11-12T22:05:00.006+08:00

Do you believe I slept with 4 beautiful girls on November 12, 2009?. I'm not joking. It's absoultely true! I went to Bamboo House Lounge at Sarawak House tonight and at the spiral staircase, I met this group of 4 beautiful girls and 1 quite handsome guy. They invited me to have a game of pool....the girls played, the guy just watched in jealousy.

I let the girls win and they were so happy. They even posed for me to take a few pictures. It was only after a few games that I asked for their names at the pool table. The guy's name is RJ and on his left are Kane,Lala,Chen and Rose. All are young, sexy and beautiful.They flied all the way to Sibu from Baguio City in the Philppines. Chen, the most attractive girl among the group told me that they would stay for at least 3 months. After making acquaintance, I gathered all my courage to ask the girls if I could sleep with them. Kane,Chen and Rose immediately nodded in agreement at the same time flashing their sexiest smiles. Lala however insisted that RJ must also agree.So what do you think was happening next?

RJ finally agreed to the idea...and we all slept together!
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:
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Well, well, well....guys, did I make up a convincing story? Or you already know from the very beginning that I am only bluffing?

Jokes aside, I went to take photos of the New Vibration Band which is making its debut at the Bamboo House Lounge. During the photography session, we required the band members to lie down on the floor to take some very unique and interesting photos. And at the end of that photography session, I quickily jumped on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of "sleeping" with 4 girls at one time.

The New Vibration Band will be performing nightly from 8.45pm onwards for a duration of 3 months.

Bamboo House Lounge which is an entertainment outlet of the Premier Hotel is a popular night spot for both the in-house guests and also the local revellers.

Sacred Heart Secondary School Speech Day & Star Foundation

2009-11-02T21:09:00.013+08:00

Datuk Clement Hii arriving at the Mill Hill De La Salle Centenary Hall

The Sacred Heart Bagpipe Band, the only such school band in Sarawak was in attendance

Datuk Hii addressing the 1,500 audience

Johnny Wong Siong Sah, an old boy and successful businessman coming back all the way from New Zealand. He is also the President of Canterbury Foochow Association, New Zealand.

Daniel Wong Pak Ing, an old boy and General Manager of Sibu Water Board sharing his stories with the students

Mr. Thomas Ling from Sibu Autistic Association receiving RM20,000 from Star Foundation

Mr. John Wong from Sarawak Society For The Blind Sibu Division Branch receiving RM20,000. Mr. Wong received another Rm25,000 on behalf of Malaysian Red Crescent Society, Sibu Chapter

Datuk Hii presenting a RM20,000 cheque to Ms Ivy Lau of Sibu Kidney Foundation

Mr. Yong Kie Ho from Methodist Children's Home was also presented with a RM20,000 cheque

Michael Wong, an old boy from class of 1963, giving away an award to an outstanding student

Peter Seo, past President of Sibu Sacred Heart Secondary School Alumni Association of Kuching giving away an award

Daniel Wong presenting an award to a student

President of PTA, Mr. Nicholas Sebastian giving away an award

Councillor Robert Lau Hui Yew who is also the President of Sacred Heart Old Boys Association presenting an award to an upper six student

Dr. Bryan Lim Choon Yang, President of Sibu Sacred Heart Secondary School Alumni Association of Kuching congratulating Wong Jian Cheng who scored 7As in his PMR

Dr. Gregory Hii of the School Board of Management giving away an award

An upper six student receiving his award from Johnny Wong

Datuk Hii presenting a laptop to Wong Jian Cheng who won the Best Academic Award

The Principal of the school, Mr. Vincent Liong presenting a souvenir to Datuk Hii

Please click the link below to read the story published in The Star. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/3/nation/5027597&sec=nation

Temple Opening and....TKS

2009-11-02T09:42:00.014+08:00

The largest temple complex in Malaysia, (some say the largest in South East Asia and some even claim it is the largest in Asia) the Yu Lung San Tien En Si Temple had it's grand soft opening on November 1.The official opening will probably be in 2010 and some internationally famous personalities would be invited as guests of honour. Kung Fu Star Jet Li's name has been mentioned as one of the possible guests.

Located at KM26 Sibu-Bintulu Road, the 60 millon temple complex is believed to be the only one in the world where 3 religious faiths; Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism are combined together.

The construction of the temple began in 2004 with funds donated from various individuals and organizations locally and overseas.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Robert Lau was one of the guests at the soft opening. He was so elated to walk on this special red carpet.Any one (except those who were present at the ceremony) can guess what was he walking on?

A pat on the shoulder by the Deputy Minister on the founder of the temple, Hii Siew Onn (left) and Tang Kee Hiong (right), one of the main sponsors. Tang is the boss of San Hin Group of Companies in Malaysia and Brunei which also owns the Tang Dynasty Hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Another guest of honour was Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh, Sarawak's 2nd Finance Minister (Middle). Datuk Sri Wong said in his speech that the Sarawak Government is recognizing the temple complex as the main tourist icon in Sibu.It is understood that several thousand local and foreign tourists have already visited the temple even before its opening.

Yet another generous sponsor and guest of honour is Dato Sri Paduka Tiong King Sing. TKS needs no further introduction here if you are following the national news lately.

Paul (right) , did you come all the way from miri to give a thumbs up to TKS? I am only joking,seriously. Paul is a lawyer and very active photographer who came here to take photographs and meeting up old photographer friends like Philip Kong and Roger Tiong. I hope you will take part in the photography contest organized in conjunction with the temple's opening. I first met Paul in Marudi during the Baram Regatta last year.

More photographs of TKS. He is seen here with one of his best buddies, Hii King Chiong of Kingwood and Fonsen Group of companies which are dealing in timber, oil palm, sago, property,construction, shipping and hotel businesses in Malaysia and overseas. Hii is also a major sponsor of the temple.

Below are some photos taken during and after the grand soft opening which attracted more than 1,000 people.

This guy on the floor is not performing some kind of rituals. He is my photography buddy...Kahlid. A devoted Malay Muslim who is a senior officer with an airline. Kahlid is very active in photography and very dedicated too. You can spot him taking photos in temples, in churches, in mosques, in Chinese and Iban cemeteries.You just name any place..he must have been there before. He is a true Malaysian, a brother. I would like to end this post with several more photos of the buildings at the temple complex taken on a more sunny day before the opening.

Modern longhouses breaking up the Ibans

2009-10-29T08:04:00.004+08:00

New concept of longhouse in Bintangor. Longhouse chief, Tuai Rumah William Settaun and his wife (below). Full story and more pictures in The Star's Metro.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/10/29/southneast/4981465&sec=southneast

Berawan Taboos And Beliefs

2009-10-24T11:53:00.005+08:00

Colourful trees and plants at Loagan Bunut National Park

Sorry guys, for not updating my blog lately. I have been quite busy travelling to several remote areas in Sarawak in the past weeks. Beside I also spent a few days in Kuching to undertake the annual graduation photography for SEGI College Sarawak. One of the places I visited recently was the Loagan Bunut National Park in Baram, Miri.The story has been published today in The Star.(click the link below to read in full)

At the invitation of the management, next week I will be heading to Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort in Miri to do a write-up for this popular private resort.

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/10/24/lifetravel/4798588&sec=lifetravel

The First Borneo Lantern Festival

2009-09-27T08:24:00.009+08:00

Sibu is the venue for the 1st Borneo Lantern Festival jointly organized by Sibu Municipal Council (SMC), United Chinese Association, Sibu, Tua Pek Kong Temple and Sibu Kutien Association.

7,000 colourful lanterns had been put up to decorate the streets from the Tua Pek Kong Temple to Sibu Gateway.The lanterns are displayed in the form of a giant dragon with its head installed at the Tua Pek Kong Temple and the tail at Sibu Gateway

A ceremony to "light up" the dragon was held on the evening of September 25 to mark the begining of the 10-day festival which was organized in conjunction with the Mid Autumn Festival. Among the dignitaries presented at the ceremony were Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh, Datuk Robert Lau, YB Awang Beemee, YB Vincent Goh and Mr. Daniel Ngieng.

On the evening of October 3, at least 6,000 more lanterns will be given away free of charge by the organizers during a cultural show which will be staged at Sibu Gateway. It is expected that several thousand people will turn up to watch the show.

In conjunction with the lantern festival,The Photographic Society of Sibu is also organizing a photography contest open for all interested Malaysian.Photos for the contest must be original and taken between September 25 to October 6 specifically on the lantern festival in Sibu.Cash prizes totalling RM2,000 will be up for grabs.

Photographs in this post are specially for the viewing pleasure of Yang Yang who is currently studying in New Zealand.

It's Raya Again

2009-09-17T10:58:00.005+08:00

It's Hari Raya again. This year's Raya will be more special as I have made many more muslim friends not only in Sibu, but also in Mukah,Sabah and KL.Sarawak is so special that all the races live peacefully and harmoniously...we really and truely practise 1Malaysia, not only now, but we started many decades ago.

My sincere and best Hari Raya wishes especially to Abana,Hardy,Amin,Aris, Jess, Era and not forgetting all other muslim friends and readers of this blog.

Slithery Snakes And Springy Noodles

2009-09-05T16:12:00.003+08:00

Sibu's "Snake King" Lai Lee Siew makes national news when his story appears in Saturday Metro today. Full story at the link below.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/9/5/southneast/4605217&sec=southneast

Sijah, The Singing Tuai Rumah

2009-09-04T12:57:00.005+08:00

Sijah is a Tuai Rumah (longhouse chief) and also a popular singer among the 5,000-plus longhouses in Sarawak.One of her pictures is published on the front page of Star Metro today (September 4) and the story is published in M 6 & M 7. Click the link below to read in full.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/9/4/southneast/4639656&sec=southneast

Miss Photogenic Photo Contest

2009-09-01T09:38:00.004+08:00

More than 30 photographers, most of whom members of the Photographic Society of Sibu, took part in the National Day Miss Photogenic Photo Contest, 2009. The event was held at Jubilee Park and 6 charming amateur models were engaged for the 2-hour photography session. Hii Chii Siew, (FRPS) of Tango Photo Studio is the sponsor of the competition. The event was an activity of the photography society held in conjunction with the 52nd National Day and also to foster closer relationship as well as upgrading the photographic skills of the members. This year saw a surge in new membership and several are from the muslim community.

In Memory Of The Hoovers

2009-08-17T10:07:00.007+08:00

Part of the 2-page story on Rev James Matthew Hoover,his wife Mary Hoover, (above) the Hoover Memorial Garden and the new Masland Methodist Church Complex (below) can be accessed at www.thestaronline.com Click the link at the bottom to find out more.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/8/15/southneast/4499583&sec=southneast

Semporna---I Love You!

2009-08-15T13:03:00.012+08:00

Semporna means place of rest in the local Bajau language. It was located on the east coast of Sabah, 90km from Tawau. The sword fish above is the symbol of the town of more than 150,000 people, the majority of them are Bajaus. I took a van from Tawau to Semporna which charged RM13 per passenger.

The town proper itself is a few rows of run-down shophouses.But the wharf area is always bustling with activities with many fishermen unloading their catches and tourists going out to their favourite island destinations in the Celebes sea or returing to land.

New rows of shophouses are being built at the waterfront.Probably once completed, they will be hotels or lodging houses and restaurants to carter for the ever increasing number of tourists.

Although first timers to Semporna (like myself) will initially feel a bit unsafe because of hearing too many stories of many illegal Filipino and Indonesian immigrants ( worst still, the Abu Sayyaf terrorists), it is, in actual fact, a very safe town with many helpful and friendly people.

Semporna is the gateway to several world class diving sites, the most famous of them is the Sipadan Island.Several other less famous but equally interesting and attractive islands are Mabul Island, Mataking Island,Pom Pom Island and the Tun Sakaran Marine Park which consists of 4 islands and several reefs.Going out to sea to visit the islands have first to pass through this wooden arch (below) to reach the various jetties along the Causeway Road and Semporna Bay.

Before leaving home I had booked a room at the 3-star Seafest Hotel but in Tawau,I changed my mind to staying at Dragon Inn. I made the right decision to switch for 2 obvious reasons.Firstly the RM66 nett rate at Dragon Inn was half of what Seafest was offering me.Secondly, the tour operator which arranged my tour to Mabul Island, Uncle Chang, has his office situated right infront of Dragon Inn.

Dragon Inn is an integrated tourism complex built over the shallow sea at Semporna Bay. It consists of 65 hotel rooms,several restaurants, conference rooms and a large netted area where many species of marine fish and creatures are kept for the viewing pleasures of its guests and the public as well.

Almost the entire resort is built of hardwood and nibong palm. It is certainly eco-friendly. The above long plankwalk leads to my room at Block H.

Not a bad room at such a reasonable price. The only complaint was the aircon was not cold enough.But a lot of people prefer to open all the windows to enjoy the pleasant sea breezes.

Feeding time for the fish is at 3 pm daily. The biggest grouper is probably more than 50 kg and 4-5 feet long. You can imagine how powerful it is (below) when it comes to fighting for food during feeding time.

Several other species of marine fish and creatures are equally fascinating. I spent hours photographing them in the afternoon when the light is good.

The above is one of the giant grouper...sunbathing in the pond.

There are many local and international diving companies offering professional and skilled dive masters/instructors in semporna. Scuba Junkie is one of them.

Presently there are probably enough hotel rooms to cater for tourists. Some of the hotels are Sipadan Inn (above).....

Borneo Global Sipadan Backpackers Lodge, and...

Seafest Hotel, the only 3-star hotel in Sipadan at the moment

I also spent many hours at the wharf photographing the boats and fishermen. The playful and happy children there are also very interesting photography subject.I will up upload more photos in the upcoming entries.

Sandakan To Tawau

2009-08-12T09:42:00.006+08:00

I will resume reporting on my Sabah holidays, sorry guys, for the long delay. The coffee house at the Swiss-Inn Waterfront in Sandakan opened earlier than usual specifically for the 4 of us as my friends had to catch an early fight to KK while I needed to be at the bus termainal at 7 am,travelling west ward to Tawau alone.

The early morning sun rays reaching the coffee house were so delightful and interesting. We just had some tea and coffee as most of the food were not ready for breakfast. The taxi ordered by the hotel had arrived, so we hurried off as the time was already 6.45 am. We went in the same taxi because on the way to the airport, it would just drop me off at the bus terminal.

The Tawau bound bus was leaving at 7.30 am, but it was already nearly full when I arrived at 7 am. I thought I was still lucky to get a front seat on row No. 5. But it turned out to be a nightmare. Sitting beside me was a guy who had irresponsibly stuffed a large bag between his legs, encroaching a fairly big portion of my space. Worst still, his soiled shirt smelled very bad. But I had no choice, I had to endure all these unpleasant circumstances for the next 6 hours. The bus driver was careful for he did not speed. The 320 km journey could have been completed in under 5 hours. The bus made a brief stop at a roadside restaurant in Kota Belud district to have refreshment and to visit the washroom.Here a small boy, probably only 7-8 years old, washed our bus for RM1. It was really a case of child abuse.

Along the journey my friend in Tawau had called me several times asking about the time I would arrive.He would be at the bus terminal receiving me and later we would go for lunch together. I arrived shortly after 1.30pm. My friend, who is also from Sibu, is now a General Manager for a timber company in Tawau. He introduced me to stay in King Lee Hotel (above), which was just opened for a week. The promotional rate was RM80 nett, which I thought was quite reasonable for a spacious and new room.Moreover, the hotel is within short walking distance to the market and wharf areas which I had planned to visit and take photos early the next morning.

My room was on the second floor and this picture was taken after I returned from the market and wharves. I walked to the wharves before 6 am, but was a bit disappointed that there were not much activities, unlike in Sandakan, the wharves there were already bustling with activities as early as 2 am.

Fishing boats at the wharves

These bales of goods were waiting near the wharf for express passenger boats going to Nunukan and Tarakan in Indonesian Borneo.The express boats here are also built by ship builders in Sibu. Many years ago, probably in 2001 or 2002, I did travel to Nunukan and Tarakan to inspect logs with a Japanese buyer from Marubeni Lumber. I still remembered he lost RM2,000 in his hotel room in Tarakan.

Much of the goods in the earlier photo were probably carried to the wharf by this guy. He was taken in the above picture at 7.36.30 am opposite the goods, soundly asleep on an iron cart and leaning against a cement water tank.

At the market I met this pitiful and miserable man,waiting for people to give him money.After observing him for a few minutes in a distant and noticing no one had helped this poor guy, I walked over to give him Rm10. I asked for his name but unfortunately I could not catch what he had murmured. I then followed him around the market with many curious early morning shoppers staring at me. One kind lady vegetable stallowner who also donated some money to him told me that this man with a "big nose' has been living on donations for at least 15 years. She said he would be seen at the market (below picture) every morning.

Physically, Tawau Town is quite like Sibu, but probably smaller than Sibu.The town still has some rows of wooden shophouses (below) I heard it also has quite a sizeable Iban population who came to settle there from Sarawak. Several medium-sized hotels here are owned and operated by the Sibu Foochows. Timber and oil palm dominate the economy.

Less than an hour by car from Tawau is the coastal town of Semporna. It is bustling with tourism activities as the town is the gateway to several world class diving sites. I will write about Semporna in the next entry.

Batik With Dayak Motifs Making Great Inroads

2009-08-08T11:53:00.003+08:00

This week The Star publishes the story of this Iban family in Betong, Sarawak, who excels in batik making. Have a click below and find out more of their success story.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/8/8/southneast/4433629&sec=southneast

Native Bead Works And Rattan Bangles

2009-08-07T09:23:00.008+08:00

Brightly coloured bead works hand made by the natives of Sarawak, particularly by the Kayan, Kenyah and Penan tribes of Ulu Belaga and Baram.Several online fashion stores in Malaysia and overseas are interested to market them. Since I know some direct suppliers,I will give them a try!

Chinese Heads Iban Longhouse

2009-08-03T08:55:00.006+08:00

Mr. Hong Sing Sing, Chinese Headman (Tuai Rumah) for an Iban longhouse in Julau, Sarawak.

The headman with his Iban mother who speaks very fluent Foochow.

94 year-old Uyu Anak Bangga is still very healthy and strong

An old photo showing the Tuai Rumah (standing right) and his brother with their late father, Mr. Hong Chai Ping (seated). The 17-door modern longhouse (below) headed by Mr. Hong Sing Sing.To read the full story, please click the following link.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/7/31/southneast/4401397&sec=southneast

New Sarawak Legislative Assembly Building, Regatta and Rulers' Conference

2009-07-31T10:25:00.011+08:00

Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah.

Our very own down-to-earth Governor, Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng

Do you remember this guy...the Menteri Besar of Terengganu? He looks simple and humble.

Sabah's Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman

Is he looking at me? Sarawak's Chief Minister, Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud

Patrol boats and jetskis from the Marine Department and Police were congesting the Sarawak River before and during the regatta

The regattas were organised as part of the celebration for the opening of the new Sarawak Legislative Assembly Building and the 218th Meeting of the Conference of Rulers.

The RM300 million new Sarawak Legislative Building was officially declared open by the Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin on July 27, 2009.

The 218th Meeting of the Conference of Rulers was held on the 8th floor of this iconic building on July 28 and 29.

The Agong, accompanied by Sarawak's Governor and Chief Minister, arrived at the Kuching Waterfront in a boat to see a colourful river float procession and a spectacular display of fireworks on the evening of July 27.

Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) 2009

2009-07-16T17:10:00.007+08:00

The Kumang (Beauty Queen) of Borneo Dayak Cultural Festival 2009, Miss Josephine Dennis of Sibu.

All the 6 winners of the Kumang and keling (Warrior) competition in a group photo

A multi racial dance

Performance by Homeland Dance Theatre

Presentation from the Bidayuh community

Dance and song from the Malay community

A pretty Orang Ulu girl presenting a feather dance

More performances by Homeland Dance Theatre

Some photos to share on the just concluded BCF,2009 and 26th National Chinese Cultural Festival held in Sibu. For full story please click the following link.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/7/18/southneast/4326639&sec=southneast

Penghulu Chew Peng Ann and Mabul Island--2 stories published in The Star this week

2009-07-11T13:56:00.007+08:00

Dragon Inn, Semporna

Fishing village on Mabul Island

Snorkelling in crystal clear water in the Sulawesi Sea (above) A row of new accommodation at Uncle Chang, Mabul Island (below).

I have 2 stories published in The Star this week. For those of you who do not subscribe to the paper, below are the links to the stories.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/7/9/southneast/4264984&sec=southneast

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/7/11/lifetravel/4266271&sec=lifetravel

PM Najib In Sibu

2009-07-06T16:21:00.004+08:00

I was lucky to be in a near enough position to capture these and at least 50 other pictures of the Prime Minister.

He is a very impressive and authoritative speaker and uses his hands to express convincingly.

Whenever he mentioned about 1Malaysia, he would also use his finger to stress the point and followed by speaking it in mandarin.

After the ceremony, the president of the Federation of Chinese Association Malaysia, Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong, presented a scroll containing Chinese wordings of 1Malaysia to the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak made a whirlwind tour to Sibu yesterday, arriving at around 6.20 pm and left at about 10 pm after declaring open the 26th National Chinese Cultural Festival.Immediately after arrival he made an unexpected visit to the Pasar Malam (Night Market) where he mixed and mingled with hawkers and local people of various races and religions.

It was his 3rd time officiating at the National Chinese Cultural Festival, the first two times when he was Deputy Prime Minister. It is the first time for Sibu to host this annual national event.

At the opening address, the Prime Minister on several occassions spoke in Mandarin on 1Malaysia. He strongly stressed that the 1Malaysia concept can foster and enhance racial harmony among Malaysians and also between Malaysia and other countries. He was very happy to note that the people in Sibu, like those different races trading side by side at the Pasar Malam, are already practising 1Malaysia concept. ( These people have been there together for more than 3 decades)

Also presented at the ceremony were Sarawak's Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and several other state and federal Ministers and their deputies.

Exhibitions by Sibu's Photographers

2009-07-01T12:12:00.004+08:00

A charming admirer of my photos. The 6 photos on the left are taken by me.

Photographer Steve Ling (left) and Chew Nip Sing. The beautifully decorated photo booth (below) at the STEC last week.

Several local Photographers exhibited some of their photographs at the Sibu Trade & Exhibition Centre (STEC) last week. I displayed 9 photos, mostly taken in the recent 1-2 years in Sarawak and Sabah. The response was very encouraging with visitors making many positive comments and enquiries.

A much bigger photo exhibition will be held at the covered car park behind Wisma Sanyan (Town Square) beginning this weekend. About 200 photos from members of the Photographic Society of Sibu will be displayed there for a week. I will also participate by displaying some 15 photos. The exhibition is part of the activity of the annual Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) which will begin from July 3 until July 11. The Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Abdul Razak will grace the event on the evening of July 5. This year the BCF is held together with the 26th National Chinese Cultural Festival.

Free live chicks as gift

2009-07-01T11:11:00.005+08:00

Event Organizer Ms Mary Ngu of Mc Events came up with a crazy idea: Free live chicks for visitors to the recently concluded Buy Malaysian Products Campaign. It was a huge success in terms of attracting visitors to her booth. The live chicks were sponsored by Boh Ming Enterprise, one of the largest suppliers of fresh eggs and chicken in East Malaysia. More than 1,500 chicks were given out to the lucky visitors during the 3-day event.

Would you keep a chick as a pet? Eventually I think it will still end up in the cooking pot!

Head Over Heels

2009-07-01T09:54:00.006+08:00

The owner of Head Over Heels, Ms Tan Sze Ru briefing Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Sarawak's Second Finance Minister and Minister of Environment and Public Health on her designer shoes. The Minister had earlier launched the Buy Malaysian Products Campaign at the Sibu Trade & Exhibition Centre (STEC) Below picture is a group photo of the models with Ms Tan and her hubby, Mr. Siaw.

Popular local fashion house, Head Over Heels, presented a fashion show in conjunction with the Buy Malaysian Products Campaign which was held at STEC from June 26-28.The show attracted more than one thousand people who also visited 120 booths taken up by businessmen from throughout Sarawak to exhibit and promote their products and services. The successful 3-day campaign organized by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs was aimed at encouraging people to buy Malaysian made products during this time of economic down turn. After Sibu, the campaign will move to Bintulu, Miri and end in Kuching.

A Week In Sabah--Part 2

2009-06-20T19:53:00.008+08:00

American writer Agnes Newton Keith lived in this house between 1934 to 1952. It was here she wrote her first book "Land Below The Wind", published in 1939.Two other books she wrote were "Three Came Home" and "White Man returns". "Three Came Home" was published after the WWII in 1947 in Victoria, British Columbia.This bestseller which was a detailed account of her imprisonment in Sandakan and Batu Lintang in Kuching together with her husband and son and also the hardships of the POWs, was turned into a Hollywood motion picture in 1950."White Man Returns" was completed in Sandakan after she reunited with her husband in 1947.

The original house where the Keiths lived was destroyed after the Japanese invading forces retreated. Upon their returned, the Keiths rebuilt the house over the ruined foundations and named it Newlands. Agnes's husband, Henry George Keith was first posted to Sandakan by the North British Company in 1925, serving as Conservator of Forests and also the Director of Agriculture. In 1934 while on leave in California, Henry re-met and married Agnes, bringing her with him to Sandakan the same year. Their first son, George, was born in Sandakan.

The Keiths returned to British Columbia in 1952 where Agnes died in 1982 at the age of 80. Newlands was occupied by subsequent Conservators of Forests and other high ranking government officials until the early 1990s when rumours of the house being haunted frightened away all the occupants. The Sabah Museum finally stepped in and converted the house into a museum in memory of its most famous occupant, Agnes Keith.The museum is tastefully furnished with a reproduction of colonial furniture and displays the works of Agnes Keith and some local artefacts. It is located on top of a hill at Jalan Istana, approximately 20 minutes walking distance from the town centre.

Not far from the Agnes Keith House is the English Tea House & Restaurant serving excellent tea from different parts of the world and authenic English scones. The restaurant also serves local, oriental and western dishes while its bar offers fine wine and liquor.

You can choose between dinning indoor or outdoor under the gazebos where you can have a panoramic and tranquil view of Sandakan bay while at the same time watching a game of croquet. The once very popular lawn game of English croquet first came to Sandakan in 1870.

We discovered from some tourist literature a beer garden on top of Hotel Nak in down town Sandakan. It claimed to offer the best spot to view the sunset. But we were not lucky enough to watch the sun setting over the Sandakan Bay as heavy rain set in before evening.

We had 4 jars of Tiger Draft which only costed RM108 during the happy hours.It was still drizzling when we left for another round of seafood feast and more beer at our hotel, the Swiss Inn.

This picture of the lovely beer garden (above) was taken before the sky turned ugly, and in the below picture from another angle we could see half of the Sandakan Town.

In the good company of the hotel chef and manager, we emptied another 4 jars of Tiger draft. However, we could no longer finish the fish, the cockles and 'Dong Fong Lo'. We called it a night early as morning call was at 5.30 am. I would continue my journey to Tawau while my two other buddies would be flying home early in the morning.

A Week In Sabah--Part 1

2009-06-17T12:17:00.009+08:00

Last year our gang went to Sabah together, but we were only in Kota Kinabalu (KK) and Kinabalu National Park area. The same gang this year decided to go to Sandakan. It was the first time for me to fly Air Asia from Sibu to KK and the pleasant journey took only an hour. As we flied pass Brunei, I took the above picture,probably at Brunei Bay where I counted more than 60 oil tankers at anchor. So Brunei must be earning tons of money daily from the black gold.

A few minutes later were were already in Sabah's air space. Brunei is really only a tiny dot from high above. We wasted almost an hour waiting for the transport sent by our hotel...the driver had gone to Terminal 1 to fetch us but we were actually at Terminal 2. Almost immediately after check-in, we ordered many seafood dishes from the food court (above) located just beside our hotel . The good thing was the restaurant was kind enough to send up all the food and beer we ordered to the cosy lounge on the 1st floor of the hotel building. After the first round of a steamed fish, 1 kg of prawns and 1/2 kg of "Dong Fong Lo" or sea snails, we were still not satisfied so we ordered some more prawns,sea snails and beer.

Do you know what is "Special Charcoal Stone"? I took this picture of a seafood stall from the hotel's verandah. Every where you go and everything you eat is seafood in Sabah. Seafood is still abundant and cheap especially in Sandakan and Semporna. Our eating spree didn't just ended here.Later at night we found ourseleves indulged in more good food and drinks at an Irish Bar at the Waterfront.

Our flight to Sandakan was shortly after 7 the next morning. I was lucky enough to be seated where I could have a clear view of Mt. Kinabalu, South East Asia's highest peak. After we flew pass the mountain, I just couldn't stop feeling that I had also reached the summit of Mt. Kinabalu.

My last visit to Sandakan was on April 4, 2003. 6 years later I found no improvement done to the airport terminal building. Being the second largest town in Sabah, isn't it strange that Sandakan, which is also popularly known as "Nature Town" and "Little Hong Kong" would lose out to Tawau which boosts a new airport?

We stayed in Swiss-Inn Waterfront, one of the latest and best hotels in Sandakan. The 138-room hotel property is owned by a businessman from Sibu.The RM290 deluxe twin sea view room offered me a panoramic view of the Sandakan Bay.The hotel,the adjacent new shophouses and a 5-star hotel under construction are all part of the Sandakan Harbour Square project.

A very big difference if you compare these buildings....the above flats at the town centre and the new shophouses (below) at the Sandakan Harbour Square. The very run-down buildings housing the flats probably have not been repainted for more than 15 years. It is an eyesore?, but I would rather call it a landmark.

The site of the new 5-star hotel which is in between the Swiss-Inn and the Central Market.

Sandakan Town from a roof-top beer garden.

We had seafood Bah Kut Teh for lunch at Good Taste Restaurant at Bandar Nam Tung, 10 minutes drive from the town centre. We also ordered a bowl of "Hwang Chiu" chicken. (Chicken in yellow wine) The place was recommened by an ASP friend who was also holidaying in Sandakan.

In the afternoon we visited the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, my 3rd time there. I managed to capture the below picture of the human and orang utan skulls. Do you think they were our ancestors?

Eyos, the 10-year old orang utan is pregnant and she was too lazy to walk or climb. This British volunteer has to carry her like a baby.

Three other orang utan we saw during feeding time were Miskan, the dominant male at the centre, Brit and her baby Britania.Look at how the little baby clung to her mother like a human.The father was very protective of the family and he was seen most of the time standing guard over the baby and her mother.

The next day I spent the early hours of the morning at the wharf near the fish market. Even at this very congested wharf a man was seen casually throwing a net and catching several fish in a short time.

I was told each day from as early as 2 am, the wharf is already crowded with fishing boats and fishermen returning with their catches. The fish are sorted according to their species and grades and then weighed before being taken away by the traders.They are for local consumption as well as for export to neighbouring Brunei, Sarawak and also West Malaysia.

Many varieties of cockles, snails, scallops, oysters, clams etc are available at very cheap prices.What is RM30 a kilo at home is only RM3-5 here in Sandakan.The hotel's Chef was kind enough to let us buy the fresh seafood from the market and he cooked them personally for our lunch and dinner. Below was what we had for lunch...starting from 10.30 am!. In the evening we had more for dinner and were honoured to have both the Chef and the hotel's Manager to accompany us.

In Part 2, I will write about visiting the Agnes Keith House, the English Tea House & Restaurant and happy hours at a roof top beer garden.

Sweet Love Band At Premier Hotel

2009-06-17T08:40:00.004+08:00

A short posting announcing the arrival of the Sweet Love Band from the Philippines. The 1-man 3-lady band is now singing and performing nightly at the Bamboo House Lounge of the Premier Hotel, Sibu. Leah, Dianne and Chicca are all gifted singers, especially good at sentimental and love songs. Jojo is normally behind the keyboard but he also sings well. The last picture shows Mr. Tony Hii, the hotel's Sales Manager jotting down the singers' particulars. Do find out more information at: http://wwwtonyhii.blogspot.com/ http://www.premierh.com.my/

A week In Sabah

2009-06-16T15:31:00.004+08:00

Hi ALL,I just returned from a week of adventure holiday in Sabah. I left home on June 7 and during the past week I had been to Kota Kinabalu,Sandakan,Tawau, Semporna and Mabul Island. The above are some of the more than 3,000 pictures I took during the very interesting and eventful trip. I will share with you the adventures of the whole trip in the coming days. Do Stay Tuned!

Gawai Celebration At Rumah Anthony Philip

2009-06-02T07:16:00.006+08:00

I was invited to celebrate Gawai Dayak at Rumah Anthony Philip at Bawang Asan on May 31. My host was Miss Christina Anthony (above), daughter of Tuai Rumah (Longhouse Headman), Mr. Anthony Philip

Our group of 7 included 2 Editors from United Daily News head office in Miri.

After a welcoming dinner on the Ruai (communal verandah), we waited for a series of competitions to begin.Dozens of trophies and prizes were up for grab in the beauty contest for children, karaoke singing competition,ketupat making competition, the best Tuak (rice wine) competition,Ngajat dancing (traditional dance) competition etc.

In the ketupat making competition, two ladies had a tie of 18 pieces, so to make a quick decision, the judges decided to toss a 20-cent coin. Finally, the one who chose "head" won.

The eight contestants for the "Miss Gawai 2009"

Tuai Rumah Anthony Philip giving away a prize to a winner and his wife (below) presenting a trophy to another winner.

I have many Dayak friends and almost every year I will make it a point to visit some longhouses during Gawai Dayak. This year is more special as I am visiting a new friend and her family. I become acquainted with Miss Christina Anthony (http://i-anakapai.blogspot.com/) through blogging. We used to comment on each other's blog and a few days ago she emailed to invite me to join in their Gawai celebration. Christina comes from a family of educationist. Her father was a former head master, her brother, sister and many uncles, aunties and cousins are all in the teaching profession. Christina herself is now attached to a government secondary school in Bintangor. Rumah Anthony Philip is one of the 8 longhouse communities in Bawang Asan, 30 km away from Sibu.

The God Must Be Crazy

2009-05-24T17:33:00.006+08:00

The earliest stone bra in the world is on display in the Wind Cave of Gunung Mulu National Park.

What would you say about the creation? Long long ago, perhaps many million years ago god had already created this pxxxy. But for what purpose? Was he also teaching biology beside the bible?

And as if he was not satisfied with the first 2 creations, he then created this master piece. Isn't god very fair?

Jokes aside, below are some facts about Mulu, according to the scientists and geologists.

* The mountains of Mulu were created some 5 millions years ago when the movement of Asian and Australian landmasses caused the earth surface to buckle and fold,lifting and pushing up layers of limestone and sandstone from the ocean floor to form the new mountains.

* Through millions of years of rentless process of weathering by elements of rain, wind and time, the present magnificent landscapes of Mulu , both on the surface and underground are formed.

* Past and on-going researches and surveys in Mulu have listed more than 3,500 types of plants, 1,500 flowering plants and 8,000 fungi are also identified.

*An astonishing 20,000 animal species are discovered, the majority of which are invertebrates. These include 80 mammalian species, 270 species of birds, 55 reptile species, 48 species of fish and 76 amphibians.

*The smallest mammal in the world, the Savi's Pigmy Shrew which weighs only 2 grams is also found in Mulu.

New species of flora and fauna are continued to be discovered.Mulu is certainly a biodiversity hotspot, a true Garden of Eden created by god.

This will be my last post for May. Wishing all Iban readers and friends Selamat Hari Gawai and for those who are not celebrating this festival but having a long holiday... enjoy your days off and do take special care when travelling.

Visit To Mulu National Park--Day 3 & 4 (Final)

2009-05-24T16:17:00.012+08:00

Last night it rained heavily and nonstop, until probably 4 am. We woke up at 5.30 am to prepare for the canopy skywalk which our guide told us would commence at 7.00 am. We would not have time for breakfast so we brought along drinking water,some biscuits and energy bars. At the park hq area we met these two lovely girls who would also be joining us for the canopy skywalk.

After some friendly conversations and introduction, I was quite surprised when Miss Linda (wearing red sleeves) said she was familiar with my name. It turned out that Linda was an ex SEGi student and I took her graduation photos last November at Hotel Nikko, KL.What a small world! The park guide (above right) gave us a briefing before we started trekking to the world's longest tree-based canopy skywalk.

45 minutes later we had arrived at the destination. From the ground below, the skywalk was just like a rope. I told myself it must be a very interesting and exciting experience walking so high up between the trees.

Our guide said since we were the first group we did not have to rush. The rule is 2 persons at one time walking on the same section of the skywalk, although it is built to support 3-4 people our size. I chose to be alone, and the last person in the group so that I could take more photos uninterrupted.

This canopy skywalk is 480 m long, with 15 sections suspended 20 m high on the trees. Opened to public in 2005, it was constructed by the local communities with advices from experts on designs and structure.

There is a platform at each of the 15 trees it passes through, allowing visitors to stop and admire the tranquility of the lush tropical rainforests, the soaring heights of the nearby limestone cliffs and the clear river below.

One would be disappointed if you were hoping to meet birds and wild animals among the trees.May be our group was unlucky.We did not see any of these animals during our entire canopy walk. But it was breathtaking already being able to watch different species of trees and plants at close range on the tree top.The skywalk follows a circular route and it must have taken us an hour to complete the walk.

On the ground again, we saw this giant tree, towering 100 feet towards the sky. It has several huge buttresses, some of which must be 5-6 feet wide.

As it was still early, we decided to do jungle trekking again. Our guide advised us to take the Mulu Summit Trail which could be explored without a guide until a small waterfall.

The trail was clearly marked with stones, but some sections were muddy and flooded due to the heavy rain the previous night.

The trek to the two small waterfalls took us more than an hour. A big sign on a tree warned visitors not to proceed further without a guide.Our purpose was not to see the waterfall. We were all the way searching for different species of flora and fauna and to take their photographs. I would say it was a very fruitful trip as we managed to take many interesting photos. Below are some to share with you.

I saw this wild fruit 21 years ago during my first trip to Mulu. We affectionately called it Mulu Apple and now people are still calling it the same name.

Many trees here have large buttresses. These two are side by side but they do not collide.

Looks like someone has tied a rope around this tree until the top. But can you do it as perfectly as nature?

There were lots of different sizes,shapes and colours of mushrooms and lingzhi every where. This one (above) is almost twice the size of an ordinary human face.

I looked in amazement a few different types of lingzhi growing the length of this rotten log. I have no idea if they are edible.

Then on another dead tree trunk...I saw this "smoking" mushroom. Water vapour was evaporating from the top and bottom of this wet mushroom as it was being exposed to the mid morning heat.

The one and a half hour trek back to the hostel was completed casually as we did not expect anything interesting to photograph on the same route.Upon arrival, we immediately reported to the park hq to inform them that we had returned safe and sound. Our guide then told us we had been upgraded from the hostel with ceiling fan to a chalet with airconditioning. That was a very welcoming gesture since we had completed our tour and needed a good rest.

Our chalet is called Garden Of Eden. It is located 100 m beside the cafeteria, with the forests infront and behind. After a short nap, I headed to the park hq where the guide had prearranged for me an interview with some senior officers. My initial target was the park's Australian Manager, but unfortunately he had earlier in the morning gone down to Miri. All the staff there were very polite and helpful and I managed to obtain all the information I wanted.

We had early dinner at the cafeteria, it was a good one. After dinner it was a final tour of the Mulu Discovery Centre and hunting for a few more souvenirs at the gift shop. The night was still young as we retired to the comfortable bed. We shared our experiences of the last few days until suddenly it went so quiet and then hearing my companions snoring like express boat engines in full throttle! Amidst all these non-stop madness in the room, I was still wondering how god created this amazing and wonderful place called Mulu.

The above 4 pictures were taken on the morning of Day 4 while we were waiting for our return flight to Miri at Mulu Airport. I am determined to come back again and the next trip I will spend longer time to explore more of Mulu.

Visit To Mulu National Park--Day 2 (Part 2)

2009-05-24T15:46:00.008+08:00

The water of this stream is flowing out from the Clearwater Cave, very tempting to jump in for a swim.But not now, first we need to climb up 300 concrete steps to visit Clearwater Cave.

If you can't finish 300 steps at one go, there are places specially made for you to sit down and rest. Here you can look downwards to admire the scenery of the forests and river.

Above the entrannce to Clearwater Cave you see some very unique plants growing on the stalactites and the cliff. These are the one-leaf plants which are endemic to Mulu.

Some of the fern-like plants growing on the ground among the rocks are also very interesting. The entrance is quite huge, but not as interesting as the other show caves.

This is the end of the passage for ordinary visitors. But the entire underground cave pasage which has been explored is more than 177 km, currently the longest in Asia and 10th longest in the world.

After we returned from the cave, we had picnic style lunch on the decking in a tranquil forest setting and fronting the stream.

While you were filling up your stomach, you could also enjoy watching and taking photos of tourists swimming and playing in the crystal clear stream.It is said the water here contains "supernatural power"to keep you young and beautiful!

None of us wanted to swim in the river because we knew the magical water there could not do wonders on old people like us! So we headed back to the hostel for a much needed nap instead. At about 3.30 pm, we took a ride in a private 4-wheel drive to the Royal Mulu Resort. The above photo of the limestone peaks was taken on the bridge leading to the 4-star resort.

The 188-room resort is like a palace nested amidst the tropical rainforests. All the buildings are built on stilts, more than 3 meters above the ground. It is an internationally acclaimed award winning resort fully equipped with modern amenities, including a swimming pool which is also built on stilts.

For Day 3, we woke up early again to begin trekking to the world's longest tree-based canopy skywalk.

Visit To Mulu National Park--Day 2 (Part 1)

2009-05-22T13:38:00.014+08:00

This is part of Mulu's limestone complex at dawn. If I could take the photo at a much higher altitute, it would be spectacular.

Before I took a walk in the nearby forests, I came to the riverside first to take this photo of longboats in Melinau River.One of these boats would later take us to the Batu Bungan Penan Settlement and more caves.

The scenes of the misty forests were so mysterious and yet enthralling .It was so exciting to walk there all alone, amongst the towering trees and the morning calls of countless insects and birds.

As the day began to break and the sun getting higher, I retreated to the cafeteria for breakfast. On the way I met this lady (below) from Czech Republic. She travelled solo and was amazed by the beauty of the tropical rainforests.

After breakfast, we assembled in front of the park hq and our guide took us by longboat up the Melinau River for the day's tour.

The river is very clean and clear. Some parts are very shallow, however since we were laden with expensive camera equipment, we were spared to alight from the boat to push it through.

We let a boat full of park guides to overtake us before we arrived at the Batu Bungan Penan Settlement. This Penan settlement has about 200 people who live in a 20-door longhouse and some simple huts like this. (below)

Sarawak has some 10,000 Penans, about 300 of them still lead a completely nomadic life in the jungles of upper Baram and Belaga. They are some of the last true nomads in the world.

Many of the settled Penans here make handicrafts for sale to the tourists. Almost all these items are made from the natural resources collected from the forests and rivers. They include necklaces and bracelets made from beads, baskets of various sizes and designs made from rattan, traditional bamboo musical instruments, miniature blowpipes and many other small souvenir items.

This is a Penan nose flautist who played a melodious tune with a bamboo flute.

Below are some photos of the Penan ladies. The older ones like their Kayan and Kenyah sisters, are having long ears. They however,do not have tattoos on their arms and legs.

After a brief stop here, we proceeded with our journey to the Wind Cave. But first we had to pass by the legendary Batu Bungan, which is a steep limestone hill.Legend has it that long ago a beautiful Penan princess died in hunger and exasperation among the craggy cliff of Batu Bungan while waiting for her lover to return.

Shortly after passing Batu Bungan,we tied the longboat here and this wooden walkway brought us to Wind Cave.

When you enter Wind Cave you could feel a mild, cool wind gushing at you, that's how the name is derived. You will also experience the same effect at several spots inside the cave.

It is a big cave with many wonderful stalacties and stalagmites. Some of the formations on the ceiling look like curtains.

There is a passage inside Wind Cave going to the adjacent Clearwater Cave.Called Clearwater Connection, this route of 4.8 km is only for the most fit adventure caver. It takes 6-8 hours to reach while a boat ride needs only a few minutes.

Only on our short longboat journey to Clearwater Cave did we realize we had missed walking on this walkway built outside Wind Cave. Surely we had also missed the opportunity to take some breathtaking photos of the cliff and the river below.

Next entry I will bring you to Clearwater Cave and the Royal Mulu Resort. Stay tuned!

Visit To Mulu National Park--Day 1

2009-05-21T13:09:00.015+08:00

The new ATR-50 at Miri Airport about to fly to Gunung Mulu National Park (GMNP)

MASwings's air hostesses are not only very charming but also courteous and helpful. They serve packet drinks during the short flight of just about 20 minutes from Miri to Mulu.

Mulu's airport allows the landing of Fokker and ATR-50 aircrafts . There are two daily return flights, one each in the morning and afternoon.We took the morning flight which departed at 9.20.

Less than 1 km from the airport is this welcoming sign. GMNP is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the only one in Sarawak and one of the four in Malaysia.

This suspension bridge across the Melinau River leads you to GMNP headquarters (below) where all visitors are required to register themselves. A Tiger Orchid, considered the king of all orchids is blooming with beautiful flowers in front of the park hq.

This signage tells you the walking distance between the park hq and the Clearwater Cave, Wind Cave and Moonmilk Cave.There is a good network of raised plankwalks and cement paths going to the show caves which also include Deer Cave and Langs Cave.

Trekking under the canopy of the tropical rainforests is quite relaxing, especially if you do not have to rush. Along the way there are so many interesting flora and fauna to see and discover.

One of the most beautiful flowers in Mulu is the Slipper Orchid. It is however, rare and not easy to spot.

GMNP receives about 20,000 visitors each year. More than half of the visitors are foreign tourists from all over the world.The above group is Vietnamese from Perth, Australia.

It is one of the best managed parks in Sarawak. Even the long plankwalks winding through the forests are kept clean at all times. Two workers are seen here sweeping away the fallen leaves from the plankwalk.

On the way to Deer Cave, you will come across this Mulu Summit Trial at your left side.The 24 km trail is only for the very fit and it will normally take you 4 days to scale the 2,377 m mountain, the second highest in Sarawak.

A bunch of wild berries along the way...just wonder why no insect or bird want to eat them.

After almost an hour of trekking, we saw this limestone mountain and our guide told us that we were almost reaching Langs Cave. We had now walked 3 km.

Langs Cave is the smallest of the 4 show caves, but the limstone formations here are considered the most beautiful.The cave is brightly lit up in most areas for easy viewing.

Deer Cave, until recently, has the world's largest cave passge. It is home to 3 million bats and swiftlets. 12 different species of bats live here, the largest concentration and largest number of different species of bats living together in a single cave.

The above photo shows part of the entrance of the Deer Cave. Just see how a man (white shirt at bottom left) dwarfs with the awesome cave.

Don't you think that America should come here to adopt this cliff? God has miraculously installed its first president, Abraham Lincoln, at one of the cave's openings at Deer Cave.

This is the bat observatory outside Deer Cave.Between 5.30 pm to 7 pm, here is the only place on earth where you see 2-3 millions bats swarming out from the cave in search of food. They eat tons of insects every night...that is perhaps why there are very few mosquitoes in Mulu! A set of 5 special cameras were installed recently inside Deer Cave and using infra-red lighting, visitors can now enjoy on the TV screens at the observatory, live vision of tropical cave habitats. This facility, aptly named Mulu Bat-cam, is also the world's first and it was officially launched by Prince Albert II of Monaco on April 20, 2009.

Some describe it as flying dragon, some call it flying ribbon....this natural phenomenon of "bat exodus" is indeed a rare and spectacular sight.

It was already 7.30 pm when we returned to our hostel near the park hq.After a quick shower we had dinner outside the park at a privately run canteen. The food was quite nice, especially the jungle fern cooked with wild zinger flower.Within the same building as our hostel is the Mulu Discovery Centre (above) which also houses a resource library and a video presentation room.All the information you need about Mulu is available here on the walls, in the video presentation or in the printed materials.

And there are also nice gifts as souvenirs (above).A cafeteria here serves both very delicious local and western food and sell all basic stuff you need for jungle trekking. However all things here are priced like those in a 4-star hotel. I retired to bed early, in anticipation of an early morning walk in the nearby virgin forests the next day before proceeding to our next destinations....Batu Bungan Penan Settlement, Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave.

Shooting Pitcher Plants

2009-05-09T21:15:00.010+08:00

Steve, Vice President of the Photographic Society of Sibu (PSS) was overjoyed with the discovery of many species of the pitcher plants.

10 members of the PSS went for an outing to shoot photos of pitcher plant this afternoon. The location was just about 25 km away from Sibu Town at Rantau Panjang.The group was led by Bowison Hii who is PSS's Advisor.Hii did not disappoint us by bringing the group right to the spot where there were several different species of pitcher plant.

Even before we entered the secondary forest, Hii already showed us the above pitcher plant growing in a roadside drain. I was very surprised that it grows so well here.

In the forests, picther plants were every where.Some dangling on tress branches while others sitting on the forest floor. Not in any other places which is so near to the city centre that I have found them growing in such big number. If I own the land, it should be turned into a pitcher plant sanctuary.

The flowers of the picther plants are equally fascinating. They come in different colours and shapes.

The oldest member of the group is 75 year-old Chiew Nip Sing (below). Chiew is still very strong and very determined to take a lot of good photos which many of us a lot younger than him should emulate.

There were some very tiny pitcher plants as well. The big ones measured more that 1 foot long while the small ones were less that an inch.Most members were equipped with micro lenses so every one enjoyed and fully utilized the 2-hour photo session.

Bowison Hii (above left) holding a tiny pitcher plant for some members to shoot. Hii is a Fellow with the Royal Photographic Society of London (FRPS) and his prestigious fellowhip was obtained 7 years ago with an outstanding series of 15 pictures of different species of the pitcher plant taken throughout Borneo.

My First Photo Essay In The Star

2009-05-08T08:36:00.008+08:00

I have recently started contributing to the nation's largest English daily, The Star. My first photo essay on the 5th Borneo International Kite Festival was published in the Star Metro (South & East section) on May 7. Certainly I was thrilled to hear from Ms June Wong, the Executive Editor of The Star that the first story has been published. I went to buy 3 copies of the paper and will keep them as souvenirs!. You can read the full story here http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/5/7/southneast/3831297&sec=southneast

Adventure Photo Tour To Mulu National Park

2009-05-04T07:28:00.011+08:00

The profile of Abraham Lincoln in Deer Cave

Mulu limestone complex

Far and wide

Part of the adventure and fun is wading in shallow water in the cool and crystal clear mountain streams. All photos taken between 1988 and 1990

The Photographic Society of Sibu (PSS) is organizing an adventure photo tour to Mulu National Park on May 13.The 4D/3N tour is part of PSS's activities for its members this year. About 10 members are expected to join the tour, a first visit to this renowned world heritage site for most of them. The group will depart Miri early on the morning of May 13, first taking the express passenger boat to Marudi then onto Long Terawan. From here they will proceed to Mulu using a wooden long boat. The whole river journey will consume a whole day, but along the way there will be ample photo shooting opportunities for every one. The second and third day members will visit the four show caves: Clear Water Cave, Wind Cave,Deer Cave and Lang Cave. In between they will have time to observe hundreds of thousands of bats flying out from Deer Cave in the evening, visit to a Penan Settlement, canopy walk and jungle trekking.All Photographers will probably be heavily laden with cameras and various lenses as there will be so many interesting things to shoot....from the awesome landscape, rare and unique species of flora and fauna, portraits of the indigenous peoples and a lot more.The return journey to Miri will be by air as it only takes half an hour. Presumably everyone will just be too exhausted to repeat the long river journey.I have been assigned by PSS to arrange and lead the tour. Time is very constrained, but I still hope to make it perfectly fun,eventful and fruitful for every participant.This will be my 8th trip to Mulu, the first was in 1988 which I also managed to scale the Pinnacle. PSS this year has planed a series of photo shooting activities for members. The main ones are listed as follows:-

(1) April 24-26: Mukah Tour. Successfully accomplished with 5 members taking part.Person in-charge: Steve Ling.

(2)May 2-3: Belawai Tour. Successfully accomplished with 7 members participating.Person in-charge: Abang Khalif.

(3) Mulu Tour: May 13-16. Person in-charge: Yours truly.

(4)World Harvest Festival, Kuching: May 23-24. Person in-charge:Ling Ee Sieng.

(5) Model Photography, Jubilee Park, Sibu : June 14. Person in-charge: Kelvin Hii.

(6) Borneo Cultural Festival cum National Chinese Cultural Festival,Sibu: July 3-11. Persons in-charge: Ling Liong Hui, Sia Pik Ee.

(7) Chinese Moon Cake Festival: October 2-3. Person in-charge: Chew Nik Seng.

(8) Batang Rajang Challenge (power boat race and kenyalang regatta): October 10-11. Person in-charge: Liong King Ying.

(9) Yu Lon San Tien En Si Sibu Cultural Festival: October 26. Person in-charge: Yours truly.

Apart from the above activities, PSS members will also be invited to attend short seminars/worksops on improving and upgrading photography skills. Further more several photography competitions and exhibitions will also be organized for the members.

Motorcycle Race On Sibu's Streets

2009-05-03T20:11:00.008+08:00

Some streets in Sibu were closed to traffic over the weekend to give way to a motorcycle race. It is the first time a motorcycle race is being organized legally on the streets of Sibu. The action packed event attracted hundreds of spectators, the majority of whom are bumiputra.Called the Sarawak Club Prix, the race was jointly organized by Sibu Municipal Council, X4 Generation and Sarawak Automotive Racing Association.

Mukah Annual Kaul Festival

2009-04-27T15:34:00.015+08:00

A teacher helping her student to wear a colourful hat called Terindak before the cultural parade.

A contingent of Bidayuh participants.

Teenage Melanau girls who called themselves Legend Of Srimona.

An elderly Melanau man who never misses a Kaul Festival.

A big smile from a pretty Melanau girl from the Daro contingent.

An Iban warrior representing the Sarawak Dayak National Union.

A Melanau man wearing a traditional scarf while a lady wearing the traditional sun hat, the Terindak.

Bidayuh lady in traditional costume.

A young member from the contingent of Sri Ritma Borneo Mukah.

All smile....a happy and proud occassion for young and old participants alike.

The highlight of the event was the arrival and thereafter the official launching of the Kaul Festival by Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, the Chief Minister of Sarawak who himself is a Melanau from Mukah.

Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud enjoying locally made sago biscuit while entertained by the performances presented by the different cultural troupes as shown in the following pictures.

The popular cultural event attracted dozens of local and national Photographers and Journalists as well as some foreign tourists.

The Chief Minister at the official launching of the colourful festival.

Several thousand people from all walks of life thronged the venue of the Kaul Festival at Kaladana Beach (below) which is just 10 minutes from Mukah Town.

The just concluded Kaul Festival held in the coastal town of Mukah has succesfully attracted thousands of visitors to this carnival-like annual event. Traditionally the Kaul was practised by the Liko Melanaus who were pagan fishermen to applease the sea spirits for a bountiful harvest. It is usually held in April at the end of the rainy season.In recent years the festival has been evolved into a big cultural and tourism event while maintaining its original significance. This year a total of 15 troupes representing not only the Melanau community took part in the cultural parade. The local Sri Ritma Borneo Mukah was adjudged the winner and walked away with a cash prize of RM2000.The event was graced by the Chief Minister of Sarawak, Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud who also announced the immediate construction of a RM200 million new airport for Mukah. The Chief Minister had earlier officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for a new government office complex which will house the various state government departments,SESCO office and the office of the Regional Corridor Development Authority.