Miri Latterrain Church youths

our youths at the inaugural Miri City Christmas Parade 2008

Dinner a smashing success

The diverse minority Kenyah community in the state were told in no uncertain term to be united in order to play a significance role in the development of the country.

“We must move in unison as one united association in order to be able to do great things. We must refrain from infighting among ourselves. We must give our full support to our association because the moment we go our separate ways we create walls between ourselves,” said the deputy minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan.

He said this at the Sarawak Kenyah Cultural Festival dinner at the Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club last night.

Present were Pujut assemblyman Andy Chia, the organising chairman Marcus Gau Lian, the association president councillor Simpson Njock Lenjau,the Miri Resident Datuk Ose Murang, the Miri District Officer Abdul Aziz Yusuf, Datin Winnie Jolly the wife of Jacob, Penan community leader Datuk Hassan Sui, several Kenyah community leaders both from Baram and Belaga like Penghulu Paul Kalang, Penghulu Theodorious Lenjau Kuleh and Penghulu Danny Ebang.

The dinner organised by the Kenyah National Association (PKKS) marked the closing of a three-day festival which saw more than 800 guests attending.

The festival itself, a combination of cultural and traditional games competition between the seven branches of the association saw a participation of nearly a thousand people taking part in the first ever Kenyah festival with the theme The Spirit, Pride and Patriotism of Usun Apau.

Jacob, himself a Kenyah from Long Anap, is the only Kenyah holding the highest political post for the community. He was appointed by the Prime Minister after the last general election after successfully defending the Baram seat,a predominantly Orang Ulu constituency for the third time for the Barisan Nasional.

The Kenyah tribe, unlike the other indigenous groups in the state is as diverse as the more than twenty ethnic groups, divided along dialectic groups. As a consequence, there is a tendency to be parochial within the community.

“United we stand, Divided we fall. We must be like a team of paddlers in a boat that must paddle the boat in unison toward a common destination. For example, if a few paddlers start to paddle against the direction of the boat, the boat will not move forward and neither will it reach its desired destination,” said Jacob.

“Then we must ask ourselves, what is the way forward for our community? That is where the association must sit down to discuss and chart the way forward for the community. We must not forget we are part of a bigger community the Malaysian society at large and we have a role to play in nation building,” he added.

During the dinner the deputy minister was given the honour to launch the PKKS Education Fun thereafter announcing a donation of RM20,000. Yesterday, another Orang Ulu politician, the Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok pledged a donation of RM15,000 after launching the beachton, a fund raising effort toward the Education Fund.

Besides donating toward the Education Fund Jacob, being the patron of the festival, also announced a donation of RM8,000 to the organising committee for hosting the festival.

Other guests who were moved spontaneously to donate toward the Education Fund during the dinner were Datin Winnie, Hassan Sui, Dora Kalang, and a prominent Kelabit doctor Dr. Roland Dom Mattu who pledged RM1,000 each.

Chia pledged a donation of RM3,000 to the Education Fund.

The total donation collected during the dinner for the fund was RM29,176.

Jacob said education must continue to be the top priority of the association in its struggle to assist the community to elevate its socio-economic status in a competitive and globalised society.

“It is hoped that through this Education Fund we can take the initiative to lend a helping hand to our children without having to wait for aid from the government or other sources,” said Jacob.

Meanwhile, 22-year old Veronica Usun Jok from Long Moh was crowned the Bungan Lisu in the first ever Kenyah beauty contest beating eleven other contestants,walking away with cash prize RM800, a trophy, a beauty set and a certificate. First runner up was Serrlyn Bungan Nyurang and second runner up was Priscilla Nadin, each walking away with RM600 and RM400 respectively besides a trophy and a beauty set and a certificate each.

The overall champions for the cultural and the traditional games competitions was PKKS Asap Belaga and PKKS Bintulu respectively. Each walked away with a challenge trophy.ENDS.

Caption: WARRIOR DANCE: Jacob displaying his Ngajet Lasan-the traditional Kenyah dance-skill to the dinner guests as a way of officiating the dinner.

Kenyahs must be united to stay significance

Indigenous minority groups in the state must enhance unity among themselves in order to be able to contribute toward nation building, said Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok.

“Being small, doesn't make us insignificance in the context of nation building. But what makes us irrelevant is when we, being a minority, start to quarrel among ourselves over petty issues. The moment we do that, we lose the respect of other races in the country,” said Lihan.

He said this at the official opening of the Sarawak Kenyah Cultural Festival at the city council field yesterday.

The three-day festival was organised by the Kenyah National Association (PKKS) with seven of its branches taking part.

Present were the festival organising chairman Marcus Gau Lian, association president councillor Simpson Njock Lenjau, Orang Ulu paramount chief Temenggong Pahang Ding and several Kenyah community leaders both from Belaga and Baram regions.

Lihan praised the association for hosting the festival for the first time for its people, the Kenyahs.

“This augurs well for the Kenyahs in the state for it reflects your desire to be united and progress with the other races. I respect the most this kind of festival, for it brings people together in a joyous and happy mood. I dare say this festival is a celebration of victory for the Kenyahs, for as a people you have come a long way,” said Lihan.

“This festival heralds a new spirit, can we call it the Spirit of Usun Apau, among the Kenyahs, and it is this spirit that will lead you on to play a significant role in nation building in the future,” he added.

Lihan told the Kenyah never to forget that unity is the key to their significance and relevancy in nation building.

“I cannot overemphasize the importance of unity for your progress as a people in this beloved country of ours. The moment the Kenyahs break up and quarrel among themselves, that is the road of going down the hill for them,” said Lihan.

It was believed that the Kenyahs, one of the many tribes in Borneo first settled at the Usun Apau plateau before migrating to the other parts of Borneo.

The Kenyahs as a tribe is unique among the Orang Ulu groups. The Kenyahs are divided into so many sub-tribes along dialectic lines. Probably there are as many Kenyah sub-groups as there are tribes in Sarawak.

Lihan advised the Kenyahs to support the government of the day if they want to progress with the rest of the country.

“I believe that is the right platform for you to help your people. But the moment, your Kenyah leaders are antagonistic toward the government you will find it is a hard road ahead. My advice is to support the present government,” said Lihan.

Lihan was given the honour to launch the Beachton for the PKKS Education Fund raising effort during the ceremony too.

As a gesture he fully support the association for its noble aim in putting education as a top priority for its members, Lihan donated RM15,000 to the fund through the Beachton launching.

“I am aware that we had exceeded our target of one family one graduate among our people, the Kenyahs and the Kayans. In this competitive globalised world, education is the key to our survival,” said Lihan. ENDS.

Caption: SOUND OF UNITY: Lihan officiating at the festival with Kenyah leaders.

Let the Show BeGins

The indigenous Orang Ulu of Sarawak can a constructive role in nation building by showcasing their unique cultures through their respective associations, said Miri Resident Datuk Ose Murang.
“I am glad the Kenyahs have successfully organised their own inaugural festival through their own association. The Kenyahs like the rest of the Orang Ulu groups are members of the Federation of Orang Ulu Association Malaysia (FORUM). Through this federation, the Orang Ulu can play a bigger and more meaningful role in enhancing racial harmony in the nation,”said Ose.
He said this when officiating the Cultural Competition organised the Kenyah National Association (PKKS) yesterday.
The competition among the seven branches of the association was the cultural highlight of the three-day Sarawak Kenyah Cultural Festival which saw hundreds of participants taking part,with the Kenyahs from Belaga forming the biggest contingent at about 200 participants.
Also present were an advisor to the association Datuk Joseph Balan Seling and his wife Datin Mariam, the festival organising chairman Marcus Gau Lian, the association vice presidents Alex Liau, Michael Sabang, Erang Ngang and several Kenyah community leaders both from Belaga and Baram.
Ose expressed the hope that the association continues to play its role as a association that brings people together to celebrate Sarawak's rich cultural heritage.
“I am looking forward to an even bigger festival from the Kenyahs in the future. I must congratulate Simpson and his committee for working so hard to put up this wonderful cultural festival for the people in Miri,” said Ose. ENDS.
Caption: LET THE FESTIVAL BEGINS: Ose (third from left) beating the gong, signaling the show has begun.

God loves me

My youngest son...surrounded by the love of God

Miri has public complaints bureau...

Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) here has set up its own Bureau of Public Complaints and Services ala MCA's Datuk Michael Chong except with a difference.
"Where MCA is a one-man show, ours is a team of 31 party members led by youth chief Lawrence Lai. Our bureau is divided into three units that is the legal unit, the education unit and the public complaints unit. We have six lawyers in the bureau, " said the assistant minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Lee Kim Shin.
He told this to reporters when he brought members of the bureau on a familiarization visit to the Miri Police District Headquarters yesterday.
Present during the visit were the Miri police chief ACP Jamaludin Ibrahim, his senior officers and Pujut assemblyman Andy Chia.
Lee said the bureau would assist the various government departments especially regarding public complaints.
"With the setting up of this bureau, we hope to facilitate public complaints in a more efficient way by disseminating the accurate information promptly. In this way, a lot of problems could be resolved and misunderstanding averted," said Lee.
In response, Jamaludin welcome the move by the bureau to work closely with the department saying effort to help the public would be more focused.
"Our department's role is to ensure security for everyone in Miri," said Jamaludin.
Lee requested a seminar be conducted for the bureau so that its members are knowledgeable on proper police procedures like making a police report and making a citizen's arrest.
Jamaludin also disclosed the department is currently looking for about 80 individuals to fill the post of police voluntary reserves.
"These police voluntary reserves would only do police work after office hours. Although the deadline have expired, we are opening it again because so far we have only received about 25 applications," said Jamaludin.
Also raised during the visit was the need for big supermarkets in the city to instal CCTV at their parking areas and if necessary at their shopping complexes to deter robberies.
Some members of the bureau also raised the need for a stronger and more visible police presence in busy shopping centres in the city because of late there had been cases of snatch thefts.
Jamaludin also advised kite flyers to take extra precaution when flying kites in residential areas.
"There had been reports of children chasing kites on the roads without regard to their safety. Altough there is no law against kite flying but action can be taken if it endangers public safety like getting in the way of aviation or get in the flight path of aeroplanes," said Jamaludin.ENDS.

Caption: 08-10bureau:COLLABORATION: Lee (seated third right). Jamaludin is second right. Chia is fourth right. Lai is at right.

Only the Greedy says Police chief

About RM128,000 was swindled from unsuspecting victims of a scam known as Court Scam carried by unidentified suspects with six cases related to the scam already reported to the police here.
In a press conference here, the Miri Police Chief ACP Jamaludin Ibrahim said police are still investigating the case.
He explained the modus operandi of those behind the scam to the reporters present.
In one case, the suspect made a telephone call to a fixed line to the victim identifying himself as a police officer from Bukit Aman telling the victim that he was required to attend a court hearing in Kuala Lumpur.
The victim was told by the suspect that his bank account had been used for illegal activities involving Along and illegal money.
The suspect was told that his bank account is now under investigation and he was instructed by the suspect to withdraw all his money from his account and to transfer the amount to an account provided by the suspect.
He was told his money would be kept in the account during the period of investigation and would be returned to him once the case is solved.
To make the scam look bona fide and believable to the victim, the first suspect had his accomplice, this time a woman who identified herself as a public prosecutor from Kuala Lumpur court called the victim advising him to transfer his money to the account provided by the first suspect otherwise the victim would have to attend court hearing in Kuala Lumpur.
The suspect promised to contact the victim once the money had been banked in. The suspect only realised he had been conned when the suspect never call back after the money was banked in.
"In view there are a lot of these cases being reported and this kind of scam had become worrisome, I would like to advise members of the public to be cautious and never to give their money to people they do not know. If you happen to receive such calls, don't entertain and the best course of action is contact the police, the court or the bank as preventive measures to avoid being swindled," said Jamaludin.
"People who are easy preys to swindlers are those who are greedy," he added speaking of those who fell victims to the sweet talks of these predators either online, phone calls and SMS.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated case, Jamaludin disclosed police had arrested four locals, three women and a man, suspected of having being involved in conducting illegal lottery.
A police team led by ASP Anthony Abell made the arrest in a police raid on the 8 October 2008. Also confiscated in the raid were 12 fax machines, several calculators and writing materials.
Based on police investigation, the amount of weekly betting collected by the suspects in their illegal operation was estimated at RM300,000.
The suspects would be charged under the Open Gaming House Act 1953 Section 4A(a) which carries a maximum fine of RM200,000 or two year imprisonment upon conviction.
This is the third of such cases, said Jamaludin. The first was in January and the second was in August. He also revealed the first and the last case was related.
Police,meanwhile, believed several house-breaking cases rampant in Lutong and Desa Senadin areas lately were solved with the arrest of two suspects, both male, age from 27 to 42 years old on 16 October 2008 at a house in Kg Pengkalan Lutong. A laptop, a watch and a remote control kite were also confiscated. The two suspects would be produced in court tomorrow.

Caption: SUCCESS STORY: Jamaludin (right) showing the fax machines that were confiscated. Also in the picture is Miri CID chief DSP Mohd Zani Che Din.

Angelic beings?

Supernatural manifestations of angelic being during a special meeting in our church. One of the youths took pix from his mobile phone of the worship, not aware it would record manifestations of angelic beings...note that three white spots above the back up singer....

NCR issue

A massive crowd of about 250 indigenous people came for a talk on NCR, Communal Reserve and Traditional Village at the Land and Survey Miri office yesterday.

The organisers had only anticipated about 150 community leaders to attend but it was obvious a lot more people are keen to listen to the talk because it has to do with the future of their land in the interiors.

The overwhelming response was an indication of how close the land issue is to the hearts of the indigenous people.

Organised by the Telang Usan PBB under the chairmanship of Charles Balan Seling, the talk was a bold initiative by Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok to gather the community leaders in his constituency under one roof to hear detailed explanation of issues relating to landownership vis-a-vis the Sarawak Land Code.

For example, when the Miri Resident Ose Murang asked the participants how many understand what is NCR (Native Customary Rights), nearly 90 per cent have no idea what is NCR.

Then Ose began to explain that land cleared and cultivated before 1 January 1958 is considered NCR. He then asked how many understood what is NCR and almost all of the participants raised their hands to indicate they knew.

In his speech, Lihan said tackling the land issue in his constituency became a top priority in his political struggle.

While acknowledging that the land issue is a big problem in his constituency, Lihan, nevertheless, said he would do his utmost best to seek solutions to resolve the issue.

“Since 2006, I had started to find ways to resolve the complex land issue in my constituency by meeting the relevant government departments and ministries. The talk we have today is just one of my efforts to seek solutions to the land issue. I felt the community leaders must have the right and accurate information so that they can explain clearly to their respective communities they represent about government policies and projects regarding land,” said Lihan.

Also present were the Miri Resident Ose Murang, the Superintendent of the Land and Survey Miri Roslan Putit, the representative of the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Land Development Wilfred Jolly, the paramount chief of the Orang Ulu Baram Temenggong Pahang Ding.

According to Ose, a massive 400,000 hectare of land in the Baram district has been earmarked for big development involving oil palm plantation and tree planting. The problem is identifying the boundaries of the NCR landowners, he pointed out.

Ose had set up a Divisional Land and Development Committee in 2006 specifically to look into the land issue in the division.ENDS.

Caption:: MASSIVE TURN OUT: Seated from left: Charles, Pahang, Lihan, Ose, Roslan and Wilfred at the event.

Desa Senadin Home Cell

 

Home Cell at my home at Lot 1549 Desa Senadin every Friday from 7:30pm. Semuanya anak muda!

On the mountain top

 

My "youthful" church on the mountain top overlooking the city..we were there praying for the city..HALLELUJAH

MYSTICAL GARDEN IN BARAM

An enchanting and mysterious Eden-like garden hidden in the deep jungle of Borneo near the Dulit Range in upper Tinjar surfaced again recently after long forgotten since it was first mentioned by Charles Hose in his book Fifty Years of Romance and Research in Borneo in 1891.

The recent encounter with this mysterious garden was narrated by one 52-year Merang Kaling to a tour operator John Barah recently.

According to Merang, a former surveyor with two timber companies it was in 1992 when he set out to trek the upper part of the Dulit Range in search of the valuable jungle treasure “ bird nest and garo” with one Tajoh Ginat of Long Aton.

After two days of jungle trekking, the two of them camped by a small stream. The following day, they continued their jungle trekking, climbing a sandstone cliff for the most part of the day.

To their surprise, they discovered something strange in the deep jungle-a garden with tobacco and brinjal. The garden was only a stone throw away from the summit of the Dulit Range, said Merang.

“There were tobacco plants planted in neat rows. The leaves were 5 inches wide and about one foot in length. At the edge of the garden we saw green round brinjal plants. I noticed that some of the tobacco leaves had been freshly plucked by someone but there was no footprints. All the tobacco leaves were perpetual evergreen, not a single one appear to wilt. The garden was very clean with not a single leave drop to the ground. But the mysterious thing about the garden was that there was not a trail leading to it and no sign of human activity. The width of the garden was about 12 feet and the length was about 2 chains,” said Merang.

After spending about half an hour in the garden, the two of them came down to their camp. That night they slept peacefully. Merang realised that he had chanced across the garden his elders had talked about in their folklore regarding the Dulit Range.

After interviewing Merang about his encounter with this mysterious garden, John found a similar experience that Hose had way back in 1891 where he wrote about his experience in his book called Fifty Years of Romance and Research in Borneo, “ Early next day I ventured to climb a greystone cliff which was directly above us, using ladders and cords made of rattan, and was rewarded for my trouble by finding many things of interest. First we came upon a large cave with a long ridge of overhanging rock. The soil underneath this ridge was very dry, but to the surprise of everyone, tobacco was found growing in several places. We picked some of the leaves, which measured for 4 to 5 inches across and about a foot long. This wild tobacco, growing at the entrance of the cave, appeared to be flourishing at an altitude which I estimated to be 4150 feet. The Punans, who collected this wild tobacco, believe that it was originally planted by the spirits.”

According to John, Merang would make another jungle expedition to unravel the mystery behind this garden in two weeks time hoping to bring some conclusive proofs of the existence of the garden to the outside world.

"I hope to make the journey before the end of this year," said Merang.

It was reported that any attempt in the past to bring back this tobacco leave was futile as the leave simply dissolve or melt away once it was brought out of the enchanting environment of the garden.

I suggested that he take pictures of the garden supposedly built and guarded by spirits. ENDS.

Caption: TALE OF A MYSTICAL GARDEN IN BORNEO: John Barah.

KEDAYAN NCR ISSUE

The Kedayan community in Bekenu are happy that their NCR land controversy has finally been resolved.

“We wish to express our gratitude to the Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib for his swift action in resolving the issue,” said Ketua Kampung Narawi Ariffin.

He told this to the Borneo Post after he led a group of his men to clear one of the four ancestral cemeteries in the disputed NCR land.

“It has never been our intention to go against the government in raising the issue lately. From the beginning we have never approached the Opposition to champion our cause,” said Narawi.

“We will continue to give our undivided support to the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government,” he added.

He pointed out the government acted swiftly by sending officers from the Land and Survey department to check the existence of the four cemeteries.

According to 69-year old Manap Samah the Kedayan community came from Brunei Darrusalam about 300 years ago.

He did not know the exact reason for the Kedayans to migrate from Brunei at that time but he said the original place of the Kedayans was at Kampung Uban.

From Kampung Uban, the Kedayans moved out to various places in Sarawak to as far as Kuching, Sibuti, Miri and Limbang.ENDS.

Caption: kedayan1-OUR LAND: Narawi (second from left) and his men pointing out to their land planted with oil palm trees.

Kedayan2- ANCESTRAL RESTING PLACE: Narawi (centre) at Sg Kabut, Kejapil muslim cemetery.

Kedayan3-BUSINESS MINDED: Kedayan women folks selling a variety of fruits and vegetables at Kejapil Tamu.

Kedayan4-THE PROOF: The map that shows the disputed area.

TALK AT CURTIN U

The students of Mass Communication, Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus sat down for an hour or so listening to talk given by veteran journalists representing the Northern Sarawak Journalist Association (NSJA) yesterday.

The event was a joint collaboration between the university and the association.

Also present were the NSJA president Chai Chon Chin,the Head and Senior Lecturer of the Department of Mass Communication Dr. Joseph Jayaprakash Yesudhasan,lecturer Mawi Taip, the secretary George Bennet Francis, Borneo Post senior reporter Lucas Jalong Bato.

Lucas spoke on the Daily Life of A Reporter while George spoke on Criminal Justice Reporting. ENDS.

Caption: REPORTING TIPS: (Seated from left: Joseph, George, Lucas, Mawi and Chai) with the students.

TOUGH INDIGENOUS MEN OF LONG SERIDAN

Tough indigenous men of Long Seridan came together recently to repair a broken bridge that links their longhouse to the outside world by land.

The bridge was cut off by a timber company operating in the area last April on the pretext of preventing thefts in a timber camp near the longhouse.

After months of waiting for the bridge to be repaired by the timber company on humanitarian grounds, the longhouse community leaders called their young men working in the urban centres like Miri, Bintulu and Kuching to come back to repair the bridge.

The reason being at the end of this year before Christmas there is going to be a big Kelabit naming ceremony in the longhouse. Due to this significant traditional event in the culture of the tribal Kelabit clan, there are expected to be a big influx of not only their own people going back to witness the event, but a lot of outsiders especially tourists are expected to make a bee line for Long Seridan.

Although there is a rural air service to the longhouse, the flight frequencies are not expected to be able to ferry all the people who plan to go back for the occasion.

Hence, the urgency of repairing the broken bridge in order to facilitate a smooth flow of traffic back to the longhouse for the traditional event and also for Christmas at home.

According to the team leader Joseph Maran, three 4WD vehicles from Miri with scores of men took part in the gotong-royong to help their community at home.
“We used about 30 pieces of logs to repair the bridge,” said Joseph.

He wished to thank all those who volunteered to take the time off to do a tough job for their community.

“It is this spirit of self-reliant that is commendable among the men of Long Seridan. It taught us that if there's a will, there's a way. Initially, we were discouraged after failing to get any positive response to get the bridge repaired but we decided to do something ourselves” said Joseph.ENDS.

Caption: BUILDING BRIDGES: Tough men of Long Seridan at the bridge. Joseph is the one holding the chain saw.

Jewel Tourism

With the world heritage centre Mulu Caves as the anchor, the huge Baram region can be positioned as a premier tourism destination said Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok.

Baram district in Miri Division is almost the size of the state of Pahang is home to the various indigenous tribal groups of the Land of the Hornbill.

“The asset of the indigenous people in Baram is their colourful and interesting cultures. If we can market the culture of our indigenous people in Baram to the outside world, we can attract tourists who are interested in the cultures and traditions of the indigenous people. I believe our people can take part in this industry and will directly benefit from it. Our people cannot possibly take part in oil palm plantation industry because this industry require big capital and expertise,“ said Lihan Jok.

He said this during the presentation of Mesra Malaysia and Tourism Certificates dinner recently.

The dinner was organised by the women wing of the federation of orang ulu associations FORUM). Present were the organising chairperson Kijan Toynbee, the city council secretary Antonio Kathi Galis, the Telang Usan PBB youth chief councillor Dennis Ngau Jok and several heads of associations.

Lihan firmly believed that tourism is the one industry for Baram that is marketable if all the players in the industry play their role.

This is in line with the call by the Chief Minister to have one industry for one division, said Lihan.

With that in mind, he suggested a brainstorming session among the industry players and stake holders in the very near future.

“We are serious in tapping this potential gold mine for our people. A breakthrough can come when there is a perfect collaboration among all the stake holders and industry players,” said Lihan.

Lihan pointed out that the Baram hinterland can complement Miri as the Resort City, drawing tourists from all around the world who are keen to have a tropical adventure in the deep jungle of Baram.

As the tourists trek through the jungle of Baram, enjoying the scenic and virgin forests, they can also learn about the colourful cultures of the indigenous tribal people along the mighty Baram river.

Baram has a lot to offer in terms of historical values.

There are a number of forts in the interiors, legacy of the colonial era. If these forts can be promoted as tourist destinations with some story-telling about their histories, these forts can be as famous as the Famosa in Malacca.

With tales of barter trade between the traders and the semi-nomadic Penans in days of old, Baram has a lot of nostalgia to offer to the outside world especially tourists from Britain.

With the historic Baram Regatta held once every three years, this event can be promoted in the country's tourism calendar.

This year Baram Regatta is held from 15 to 17 August. The first Baram Regatta, held in 1899 was a peace-making ceremony between the warring tribes in Baram in those days.

The first Baram Regatta early turned into a bloody tribal war between the various tribes that came to Marudi to take part in the boat-race when one of the tribal leader was wounded by a member of an opposing tribe.

However, the wounded tribal leader stood up and pacify his men saying it was an accident, thus averting a tragedy from happening on the momentous occasion.

“With all these colorful history of Baram and the diverse and beautiful cultures of its people, I don't see any reason why tourism cannot be as successful as other industries in Baram. We have a lot of tourist destinations yet to be tapped like the Usun Apau,” said Lihan. ENDS.

Caption: TOURISM JEWEL: Lihan (seated fourth from left) with other guests at the dinner.

ONGKILI IN CURTIN

To underscore its commitment to make the country competitive globally,the Malaysian Government allocated RM4.3 billion under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) for research fund, said the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili.

“I argued vehemently against any cut in research fund due to the current economic situation during the last Cabinet meeting,and my Cabinet colleagues saw the critical need to continue supporting research work. They were saying don't touch the research grants. So a portion of the intended cut in research fund were put back and hopefully we will continue to be able to support research for the sake of the new economy the country is aiming for which is based on science and technology,” said Ongkili.

He said this when addressing researchers in Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus yesterday.

Present also were the deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, the Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Lee Kim Shin and the Dean Associate Professor Joan Gribble.

Ongkili expressed satisfaction with the university for its research effort.

Of the eight Curtin's ongoing externally funded research projects, five were funded by MOSTI.

“From what I saw, those are the kinds of things MOSTI are promoting. Your research is right on track and you are right in the centre of thing,” said Ongkili.

He was particularly attracted to the research by the university on Hardware and Software Design of Body Sensor Network Device, funded by MOSTI.

Another research which was particularly relevant to the country was Development of a Compartmented Fluidized-Bed Gasifier for Syngas Production and Power Generation from Biomass (palm wastes).

“I am personally biased toward biomass. This will be the jewel of research priority. Anyone addressing this part of research effort is sure to get millions of ringgit in research funding from my ministry. Every year 1 million of oil palm trees are being cut down and left to waste. If these wastes can be processed into ethanol, so there is a need to carry out research in this area,” said Ongkili.

“I encourage you to move on with your research effort in this university. For the next six months, I will be visiting all the universities who have received research grants from MOSTI, to see the progress of their research,” he added. ENDS with photo.

Caption: 08-8ongkili7: RESEARCH CUTTING EDGE: Ongkili (seated third from left) with the researchers and staff of Curtin. Lee is to his left.

SEALINK DEBUT

Sarawak-based ship builder, owner and operator, Sealink International Berhad and one of the few integrated service providers in the Malaysian offshore oil and gas industry, yesterday made its debut on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad.

The company floated 128.37 million Sealink shares at RM1.25 per share through an Offer for Sale and a Public Issue exercise.

The company’s Public Issue will raise gross proceeds of approximately RM141.71 million which will be utilized, amongst others for the expansion of shipyards and fleets.

The company will be expanding its current fleet of 29 vessels to 40 vessels in the next three years and project to invest in access of RM300 million over the next three years for this expansion.

The company is also expecting to invest RM50 to 100 million over the next three years to upgrade the capabilities of its shipyards to increase production capacity from 15 vessels per year currently to 20 vessels per year.

Sealink has two shipyards located in Miri to cater to its shipbuilding activities. For the financial year ended 31st December 2007, shipbuilding contributed approximately 73% of revenue or RM118 million and 57% of gross profit or RM34 million.

The company’s chartering of vessels continues to be its focus in drawing long term income stream and currently contributes about 27% or RM44 million to Group revenue.

Sealink’s current fleet of 29 vessels consists of landing craft, multi-purpose vessels, tugboats, barge, supply vessel, utility vessel and passenger vessel.

To-date Sealink’s customers include both local and international companies from the United State of America, Australia, China, India, Latin America, Europe, East Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Sealink’s export market contributed 80% or RM131 million to last financial year’s revenue.

For financial year ended 31st December 2007, the Company recorded revenue of RM162.7 million and RM58.9 million of gross profit. The cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of Sealink's revenue for the past 4 years is 96% while the CAGR of its profit after tax is 60%.

Celebrating the historic occasion of the company were several key board members.
Caption:From Left to Right: Datuk Michael Hardin, Executive Chairman; Wong Chie Bin, Executive Director; Eric Khoo Chuan Syn, Executive Director; Sam Yong, CEO & Deputy Managing Director; Yong Foh Choi, Managing Director.

Golf for Girls

Malaysian Ladies Golf Association (MALGA) yesterday announced that 140 lady golfers from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei Darrusalam have confirmed their participation in the MALGA Golf Challenge 2008-Eastern Zone to be held on July 30 2008 at Kelab Golf Miri (KGM) and July 31 2008 at Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club Miri.

The executive director of MALGA Rabeahtul Aloya Abbas said that the association together with the KGM's lady captain Marilyn Raja Wright and her organising committee has been able to create a wave of excitement for the participants to take part in this unique 2-day regional tournament by getting the support and cooperation of the lady captains from the various golf clubs in the region.

The MALGA president Tunku Dato Seri Jawahir bt Tuanku Ja'afar will also be present to take part and lead this two-day event.

MALGA is also thankful to the local sponsors that has been pouring in sponsorship to support this inaugural event in Miri that includes Proton Persona car donated by Datin Annie Lau, the wife of KGM captain Datuk Jimmy Lau, Modenas motorcycle and holiday packages to Perth by Lau Ki Kiong of Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club.

The prize giving dinner on July 31 will be hosted by Sarawak Tourism Board.

As part of MALGA's aggressive grassroot development programme which is more affectionately known as “Golf for Girls”, a two-day Junior Camp will also be conducted by MALGA's coach Neil Douglas for the juniors from 12 schools in Miri taking part in this programme since last year. Sixty girls from the primary schools have been handpicked last month by the coach to take part and sharpen their skills over the two days.

Rabeahtul also stressed that this programme will not be a success without the support of the local community, the Education Department, teachers, parents and corporate sponsors.

To show MALGA's appreciation to the serious efforts of the local community to implement the programme in Miri, Rabeahtul yesterday handed over 50 junior golf sets to the schools. These golf sets came all the way and sponsored by R & A Ltd Scotland, UK in support and recognition to MALGA's effort in promoting the game among the junior players. ENDS.

Caption:BIG SPONSOR: Rabeahtul (front third from right) receiving the sponsorship from Annie as other committee members look on.

INDIGENOUS CULTURE FOR TOURISM

The huge Baram district in the Miri Division, home to the colourful indigenous tribal people have one identifiable industry that has the potential to attract world attention-tourism based on the unique cultures of the indigenous people themselves.

“The asset of the indigenous people is their colourful and interesting cultures. If we can market the culture of our indigenous people in Baram to the outside world, we can attract tourists who are interested in the cultures and traditions of the indigenous people. I believe our people can take part in this industry and will directly benefit from it. Our people cannot possibly take part in oil palm plantation industry because this industry require big capital and expertise,” said the Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok.

He said this when officiating the Orang Ulu Tradition Dance Documentation Workshop recently.

Present also were the organising chairperson Elizabeth Deng, the paramount chief of the Orang Ulu Miri Division Temenggong Pahang Ding, the executive secretary of Social Development and Urbanisation Council Aisyah Idris, the assistant secretary from the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation Usop Kilat and the researcher from the council Knot Atok.

The workshop, jointly organised by the council and the federation of orang ulu associations Malaysia (FORUM) was attended by about 50 participants from the various ethnic Orang Ulu associations.

Lihan said for the indigenous people to realize the dream of the Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib of one industry one division, they have to focus on what they have at hand, that is their rich culture.

Taib recently said he mooted the idea of “one industry for one division” with the hope of improving the livelihood of the people, particularly those in rural areas.

He urged political leaders in all divisions to identify the industries with the potentials to bring the most benefit to the people.

He was quoted as saying, “We need to bring the people to get involved in our development process, so it be good if we can have one industry for one division,”.

Baram itself had seen the timber industry booming in the early 1980s and now the oil palm industry being carried by giant companies.

But the indigenous people living in Baram especially the semi-nomadic Penans opposed such industries in the past because they felt displaced and marginalised by such developments taking place in their areas.

Touching on the workshop, Lihan said it was timely and appropriate to be held so that a consensus can be reached among the diverse Orang Ulu ethnic groups as to the dance to be performed during official functions like welcoming dignitaries.

“We do not want our traditional dance like the Datun Julud and Liling to be adulterated with the passing of time,” said Lihan.ENDS.

Caption: OUR CULTURE OUR PRODUCT: Lihan beating the gong to officiate the workshop witnessed by other invited guests.

Taib's son meet party youth leaders in Miri

The deputy minister of Tourism Datuk Seri Sulaiman Taib while on a working visit to Miri recently took the time to meet PBB party youth leaders.

Sulaiman who is also the vice youth head of the state PBB Youth Exco took the opportunity to get to know the youth leaders in Miri up close.

The party youth leaders meanwhile use the little time they had with Sulaiman to brief the latter of the development of the members in Miri.

Among those youth leaders present were the state PBB youth deputy information chief councillor Dennis Ngau Jok, PBB Piasau youth chief Yahya Salim, PBB Senadin youth chief Suhaili Draman,PBB Lambir youth chief councillor Baharuddin Tani and PBB Bekenu youth chief Yusof Bujang. ENDS.

Caption: INFORMAL MEETING: Sulaiman (fifth from left) with the youth leaders.

JABU PROMISES MEGA ECONOMIC LEAP FOR BARAM

The state government will carry out poverty eradication projects outside SCORE by way of the five agropolitan projects spread evenly through out the state, said the deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu ak Numpang.

He said the five agropolitan projects are at Pulau Bruit, Bukit Sadok, Tanjong Bijat, Batang Sadong and Kedaya Telang Usan.

“I want to see all these projects to take shape,” said Jabu who is also the Minister of Rural Development.

He said this after meeting a high level Orang Ulu delegation from Baram at the Miri Airport recently.

The delegation, led by Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok comprised the heads of several Orang Ulu associations.

Touching on the Kedaya Telang Usan project, Jabu said a thorough study needed to be carried out.

“This is because the implementation of the project must be done systematically because it is a difficult project to be carried out. This entails the support of everybody,” said Jabu.

“I am prepared to sit down with the Federation of Orang Ulu Association Malaysia (FORUM) to discuss about the project. My approach is I want to take a very objective look at the project. We must not rush things or else we will miss out. We must be very focus in our approach. My target is eight years, for the next eight years we must work hard,” he added.

Earlier on, Jabu was talking about a mega economic leap for the huge Baram district through the Kedaya Telang Usan agropolitan project, exploiting its rich natural resources by focusing on eco-tourism.

Baram district has been exploited for its timber, with several timber companies making billions of ringgit profits by extracting timber from the area.

The next wave of economic development is oil palm plantations in the fertile region of Baram, home to several indigenous peoples like the Kayans, the Kenyahs, the Kelabits and the semi-nomadic Penans.

After a half-century of independence from colonial rule, the indigenous people of Baram are hungry for economic development like the rest of the people in the country.

Basic necessities like the supply of clean water and electricity and good roads are yet to be enjoyed by the majority of the poor indigenous people in the interior of Baram known as Kedaya Telang Usan

JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF THE LAND OF THE HEADHUNTERS

I took a 15-minute boat ride from Long Dunin to Long Subeng along the Tinjar river with our local assmblyman YB Lihan. Long Subeng is only accessible by river, although Long Dunin is accessible by road from Miri-which is about 5-hour back breaking journey by 4WD vehicle through treacherous logging roads.

You might be wondering why the black faces. Well, it's the custom of the tribal people in the olden days when visitors leave the longhouse, the maidens would use soot from cooking pots to blacken the faces of the male visitors- a way of saying goodbye. It is believed that the visitors would have fond memories of their visit and the blacken faces would remind them of the ones who did the good job. So the next time you visit a tribal longhouse in Baram be prepared for this age-old custom of saying goodbye. One thing though, you can retaliate by blackening the faces of your attackers, that is if you can get your hands on the cooking pots and all...

Ten Guidelines from God

Ten Guidelines From God

Effective Immediately,
please be aware that there are changes YOU need
to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be
completed in order that I may fulfill My promises
to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in
this life. I apologize for any inconvenience,
but after all that I am doing, this seems very
little to ask of you. Please, follow
these 10 guidelines

1. QUIT WORRYING:
Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit
and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here
to take all your burdens and carry them for you?
Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little
thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:
Something needs done or taken care of. Put it
on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY
to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care
of the problem. I can't help you until you turn
it over to Me. And although My to-do-list
is long, I am after all... God. I can take care
of anything you put into My hands. In fact,
if the truth were ever really known, I take
care of a lot of things for you that you never
even realize.

3. TRUST ME:
Once you've given your burdens to Me,
quit trying to take them back. Trust in
Me. Have the faith that I will take care of
all your needs, your problems and your trials.
Problems with the kids? Put them on My list.
Problem with finances? Put it on My list.
Problems with your emotional roller coaster?
For My sake, put it on My list. I want to
help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE:
Don't wake up one morning and say,
"Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think
I can handle it from here." Why do you think
you are feeling stronger now? It's simple.
You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking
care of them. I also renew your strength
and cover you in my peace. Don't you
know that if I give you these problems back,
you will be right back where you started?
Leave them with Me and forget about
them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME:
I want you to forget a lot of things.
Forget what was making you crazy.
Forget the worry and the fretting because
you know I'm in control. But there's one
thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't
forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU!
I want to hear your voice. I want you to
include Me in on the things going on in your life.
I want to hear you talk about your friends
and family. Prayer is simply you having
a conversation with Me. I want to be your
dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH:
I see a lot of things from up here that you
can't see from where you are. Have faith in
Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me;
you wouldn't want the view from My eyes.
I will continue to care for you, watch over you,
and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me.
Although I have a muc h bigger task than you,
it seems as if you have so much trouble just
doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE:
You were taught to share when you were
only two years old. When did you forget?
That rule still applies. Share with those who are
less fortunate than you. Share your joy with
those who need encouragement. Share your
laughter with those who haven't heard any in
such a long time. Share your tears with those
who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith
with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT:
I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime
you could have so many diverse experiences.
You grow from a child to an adult, have children,
change jobs many times, learn many trades,
travel to so many places, meet thousands
of people, and experience so much. How can
you be so impatient then when it takes Me
a little longer than you expect to handle
something on My to-do-list? Trust in My
timing, for My timing is perfect. Just
because I created the entire universe in
only six days, everyone thinks I should
always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:
Be kind to others, for I love them just
as much as I love you. They may not dress
like you, or talk like you, or live the same way
you do, but I still love you all. Please try
to get along, for My sake. I created each
of you different in some way. It would be
too boring if you were all identical.
Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF:
As much as I love you, how can you not
love yourself? You were created by me for
one reason only -- to be loved, and to love
in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me.
Love your neighbors. But also love yourself.
It makes My heart ache when I see you
so angry with yourself when things go
wrong. You are very precious to me.
Don't ever forget......

Note: I received this from a friend and I have
no idea who wrote it, but I was so touched
by it, that I had to share it with you.
I hope that you will be blessed by
it and will share it with others.

Touch someone with your love.
Rather than focus upon the thorns of life,
smell the roses and count your blessings!

MIRI-BASED SEALINK MAKING WAVES

Sarawak-based Sealink International Berhad one of the major integrated service providers in the Malaysian offshore oil and gas industry, yesterday announced an oversubscription rate of 0.03 times for the public portion of 28.37 million Sealink Shares at the company’s balloting session held at the Malaysian Issuing House Sdn Bhd.

Sealink IPO(Initial Public Offering) comprises of a total Public Issue of 113,370,000 new ordinary shares and an Offer For Sale of 15,000,000 ordinary shares at an Issue/Offer price of RM1.25 per ordinary share.

“I am pleased and happy to have received a good response from the public for our IPO subscription despite the subdued mood in the equity capital market. I believe that our subscribers are medium to long term investors who want to participate in the growth and success of our company, hence my board of directors and I will continue to work hard to further improve the company’s performance and consequentially improve shareholder’s value.”, said Mr. Sam Yong, Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Managing Director of Sealink.

“Our foundation and historical performance coupled with our ability to balance good earnings between our ship chartering and ship building businesses augurs well for our future moving forward. In this, we aim to be one of the leading integrated services providers in building and operating a diverse fleet of offshore marine support vessels in the Asia Pacific Region” he added.

In the company’s recently issued prospectus, Sealink have forecasted a proposed dividend payout of 4 sen per Share for Financial Year Ending (FYE) 31 December 2008. The company’s forecast profit after tax is RM50 million on the back of a forecast revenue of approximately RM213.3 million for FYE 31 December 2008.

Sealink is expecting increases in revenue from both its chartering of vessels and contract revenues of shipbuilding arising from sales to third party to RM80.4 million and RM132.8 million respectively for FYE 31 December 2008. This is essentially attributed to the increase of demands for vessels in the oil and gas industry whereby the current construction of 15 vessels in the Sealink shipyards are expected to be completed for delivery and charter services by end of 2008.

“I am confident of meeting the forecast figures for our financial year 2008 as both our 1st and 2nd quarter results have been encouraging.”, added Sam Yong.

In line with its listing on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad, Sealink has plans to expand its current fleet of 29 vessels to 40 vessels in the next 3 years and project to invest in access of RM300 million over this period. For the year, the company has taken delivery of a vessel and will take delivery of another vessel this month. Apart from that, the company also aims to expand and upgrade its shipyard production capacity from 15 vessels per year to 20 vessels per year and increase efficiency through an investment of RM50 to RM 100 million over the next 3 years.

Sealink as ship owner, builder and operator, has 2 shipyards located in Miri, Sarawak. The company’s customers include both local and international companies from the United States of America, Australia, China, India, Latin America, Europe, East Africa, Southeast Asia and Middle East.

Sealink (STOCK NAME : SEALINK) shall be listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on 29 July 2008 under the industrial sector.

THE FIRST POLITICAL CLUB IN MIRI

The setting up of PBB Telang Usan Supporters Club was to consolidate the strong unity among party members and supporters in Miri, said its divisional head Lihan Jok, who is also the Telang Usan assemblyman.

“The club will seek to enhance unity among members and supporters in Miri. This is because most of our people from the constituency are now residing in Miri and other major towns in Sarawak. The club will act as an agent to facilitate the flow of information among our people. This is vital in this era of globalisation where the flow of information is very fast. We need to disseminate the correct information fast to our people to deflect whatever wrong perception the people may have due to propaganda aimed at misleading the people,” said Lihan.

He said this at the launching ceremony of the club last night at Dynasty Hotel.

Present were the organising chairman Jau Eng Aran, the political secretary to the Chief Minister Robert Laing Anyie, the PBB Telang Usan vice chairman councillor Simpson Njock Lenjau, the PBB Telang Usan youth chief councillor Dennis Ngau Jok, the PBB Telang Usan Women chief Ezlizabeth Deng and the paramount chief of the Orang Ulu Baram Temenggong Pahang Ding.

About 200 people attended the dinner held at Dynasty Hotel.

The protem chairman of the club is Sgt Major (retired) Standly Ngau. The deputy is Alexander Lian. The secretary is Howard Wan and the assistant is Martha Ngau. The treasurer is Roland Lusat and the assistant is Anyi Ajeng. The publicity officer is John Ngau Jok.

The committee members are Bessie Mujan, Michael Ngau, Kenneth Nyarang, Dominic Ngurang, Anyi Wan Uloi, Agnes Ngau, Winnie Long, Sylvester Luhat, Raynore Lihan and Julian Francis.

Lihan made an appeal to the Orang Ulu intellectual group from the constituency to rally behind the political leaders in PBB.

“Being the backbone of the BN coalition government, we being the minority group in the state can benefit if we are solidly behind the party which champion the cause of all races in the state. We cannot afford to be out of the mainstream of social and political development in the state,” said Lihan.

“We have to have an open mind and become the agent of change for our small community. I urge the younger generation especially the intellectual group to support our political struggle for our people. We are in politics because we want to give service to our people. That is the real meaning of politics. The challenge is the political leaders must know how to use the political power to help the people,” he added.

Meanwhile, in his speech Robert advised the people not to be hoodwinked by the promises of the opposition, particularly the Pakatan Rakyat, who aimed to mislead the people for their political agenda.

“The BN government has an excellent track record of governing the country. Why should we listen to the lies of the opposition, especially with regard to the fuel hike. We understand that this is a global issue and there is nothing much any governments in the world can do about it,” said Robert.

Dennis, in his speech said the formation of the club is timely in view of the political scenario in the country.

“Hopefully, the club will be able to attract the participation of youths in politics. They can actively contribute ideas and suggestions of how best to serve our people through the club,” said Dennis.

Ezlibeth expressed the hope that the setting up of the club marks the beginning of a united collaboration among the party members and supporters in the future.

“We like to see a lot of our intellectuals come forward to play a more positive role in uniting our people for the progress of our people. I advise our people to be patient and resilience in the face of the current crisis which is global in nature,” said Elizabeth.ENDS.

Caption: UNITED WE STAND: Lihan (seated fourth from left) with the club's protem committee and several community leaders. Robert is to his right and Pahang is to his left.

My youngest son accepted Jesus

Last night my 8-year son Timothy accepted the Lord Jesus as His Saviour and Lord. Last night was a special night for our family. Unlike our daily family time of Bible reading and teaching where my three sons Ezekiel, Joel and Timothy read several verses from a chapter of the Gospel of John and later I would teach from the chapter, we had communion after Timothy accepted the Lord Jesus into his life. Just to be sure, we asked Joel to accept the Lord again last night after his younger brother because he said he had accepted the Lord but couldn't remember when. 

PERTOBATAN ANAK MUDA

BREAKFAST ONE MORNING

Yesterday morning I decided to treat myself to breakfast. Usually, I just skipped breakfast and go straight to my prayer closet early in the morning. After sending my son to school at 6am, I drove straight to town but my office is not open yet at 6:30am so I usually spend the early morning alone with God. But this morning I was led to take breakfast. The skipping of breakfast is influenced largely by the increase in the prices of everything-including a cup of coffee, a plate of dry mee (now RM2.50). So I decided to treat myself to a cake costing 70 sen. Before taking my breakfast I took out my Bible (Alkitab i.e.) and read a chapter in public. This action is not to show off- but I usually cahllenged young Christians to read their Bibles in public. Why should they be ashamed to read the Bible in public? So I decided I must practised what I preach and start reading my Bible in public.