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.