When Sabahan Meet Sarawakian

Kali ini saya berpeluang untuk menyaksikan majlis pertunangan nephew abang saya di Sarawak Cultural Village.

Majlis pertunangan ini ada kelainan & agak istimewa kerena Si Jejaka adalah berkerurunan Kadazan manakala Si Gadis pula dari keturunan Kelabit.

Persembahan berwarna warni dan tarian traditional siku kaum di Sarawak amat menarik perhatian.

Frayed nerves over daily jams by Lester Mekan Baha

KUCHING: The traffic jams from Kota Padawan in front of the Giant shopping mall to the T- junction traffic light next to Kuching Sentral at Kota Sentosa have become a daily hell for commuters travelling from up country to the city centre.

A regular traveller on the road claimed on bad days the bumper to bumper crawl could stretch up to six miles and drivers could take up to hours to clear that stretch.

Compounding the situation rogue drivers especially those driving heavy vehicles often weaved their way in and out of the lanes to get in front of the queue endangering other motorists, especially motorcycle riders.

Tempers often flared as drivers inched their way forward and on several occasions Road and Transport Department officials had to go to the road to calm the angry drivers who called the police to complain about these unscrupulous drivers.

An attendant of a petrol station near the Kota Sentosa junction recounted a horrific accident when a motorcyclist was run over by a truck.

“Last September a truck driver in his effort to go into the two-lane road after the traffic light brushed against a motorcyclist who fell under the truck rear wheel and was crushed to death.”
Some motorists detoured to the Samarahan road to avoid the jam but that route is a much longer route to city centre.
Some of those caught in the jam put the blame on a water mains and a power substation which eat slightly into the widened road as they were not removed to make way for the road expansion.
However, a Public Works Department senior engineer refuted the claim saying that it was inevitable that such massive jams occurred as people up country had to go to the city centre to work or shop especially during festive seasons and for most that was the only route to get there.
“Similar situations happen all over the state, especially on main roads leading to the city centres. The solution lies in proper organisation of the traffic flow,” he said.
Some motorists called for more alternative routes to the city centre to ease the congestions and bottle necks while others seemed to be resigned to live with this daily grind.



“I leave my home at Taman Greenwood at 6.00am daily and reach my school, a distance of around 15 kilometres, at 7.15am,” a teacher said when asked how he coped with the situation.
All drivers stuck in the jam recently when interviewed cried out for a quick solution to the daily traffic snarl and urged the police to rein in heavy vehicle drivers who bullied their way through the jam.

Massive flow of traffic into Kuching City centre causes bumper to bumper crawl stretching miles.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/12/24/frayed-nerves-over-dailyjams/#ixzz2FvO9u6eW

Bad Traffic Jam at KM12 to KM20 Seratau

Bad Traffic Jam at KM12 to KM20 Seratau

Santubong set for major transformation

KUCHING: Santubong MP Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar is confident that his constituency will continue to receive development projects if he remains as its MP after the next general election.

The deputy speaker of parliament said he had many plans to transform the constituency through the implementation of various on-going and future projects.

“Yes, I have many plans for Santubong but I can only realize them if I were re-elected.”

He told reporters this after inspecting the on-going beautification and embankment project at Kampung Buntal near here yesterday.
He said among areas that were currently being developed were Kampung Buntal, Kampung Santubong, Sematan and Lundu.
Wan Junaidi added that as far as Kampung Buntal was concerned the village would be among the many tourist destinations in the area once the on-going beautification project was completed.

He said the government was initially thinking of putting up the embankment to protect the village from being washed away by the sea but later on there was a proposal to also develop a proper waterfront in the village.
The 800-metre Buntal waterfront is expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year. With this, Buntal would be transformed into a centre for seafood restaurants in the city.
Wan Junaidi said the Tourism Ministry had allocated RM4.5 million to construct a concrete walkwayinthe village, complete with kiosks and pavilions for the villagers to carry out some business activities.

Apart from Buntal, similar projects would be implemented in Lundu and Sematan pending an additional allocation from the Tourism Ministry, he added.

“For Lundu we have requested for an additional RM7 million and Sematan another RM6 million. They already received RM3 million for building the embankment and drainage system,” he said.

Among those who accompanied Wan Junaidi to Buntal yesterday were Kuching City North Commission (DBKU) deputy director Mohamed Khaide Abang and the project contractors.


Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/12/14/santubong-set-for-major-transformation/#ixzz2F4cll7Qr

Tourism sector in Sarawak to see vibrant growth ahead

KUCHING: The number of tourist arrivals next year is expected to go beyond the four million targeted for 2012 as the Sarawakian tourism industry expands under the many initiatives taken to attract visitors.

ICONIC: Photo shows a worker cleaning the pond nearby the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly building in Kuching, a city undergoing a facelift to attract more visitors in the near future. — Bernama photo
“Sarawak has a lot of unique offerings, geographical advantages and many other attractions which can attract tourists.
“Kuching is already in the process of a facelift to attract more tourists, with the iconic Dewan Undangan Negeri or Sarawak State Legislative Assembly building now standing as a major landmark in the city,” said Datuk Talib Zulpilip, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation chairman during an exclusive interview with The Borneo Post.
Talib believed that the city’s close geographical proximity with Singapore provided Kuching with a lot of opportunities to be successfully marketed as a convenient, inexpensive and safe destination, especially to the student market.
“We could additionally supplement Singapore’s city themes with our culture, adventure and nature themes to create a win-win situation.”
The chairman also joked that he had been to many cities and towns in the state and had never faced any problems with crime or chaos, a further testament to the peaceful environment the state possesses.
With regards to the Meeting Incentive Conference and Exhibition (MICE) segment, he pointed out that the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) had been positive about growth.
“As such, this indicates that Kuching is well known as a convention centre amongst event planners. This city is unique as an international convention venue because it can offer packages that other bigger cities cannot,” he said, in reference to the cultural experience of visiting the rainforest and a river cruise.
Talib said that he was optimistic that visitor arrivals into Sarawak would continue to grow. For 2012, he is confident that Sarawak would reach its four million visitors arrivals targeted for the year, which is a five per cent increase from the 3.8 million arrivals in 2011.
As of October 2012, the state has already registered 3,269,629 arrivals.
“Next year will be an exciting year for Sarawak. The nation will be embarking on various activities in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2013 and this celebration will coincide with Sarawak’s 50th Anniversary celebration.
He went on to point out many of Sarawak’s festivals which would also continue to successfully attract an influx of visitors, such as the Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Borneo Jazz Festival in Miri, Sarawak Regatta and Borneo International Kite Festival in Bintulu.
“There will be plenty of events lined up and it is the perfect time to visit Sarawak,” the chairman explained.


Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/12/12/tourism-sector-in-sarawak-to-see-vibrant-growth-ahead/#ixzz2EmzAUs00

Penan Murum Festival in Borneo

The Murum HEP project is about 70 per cent completed. It will have a generating capacity of 944 MW.
Works on the project started on Oct 1, 2008, and it is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
But before they are resettled, Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), which is the developer of the dam, has given the Penans and the Badengs a sense of belonging and comradeship by organising the carnival.

According to SEB officers who organised the 2-day event beginning on Dec 6, the primary objectives of the carnival were to bring together those who are affected by the HEP project so that they would be accustomed with their neighbours whom they had not come into contact with; give them the opportunity to discover a more settled lives, and to keep unity among them intact.

Assistant Minister of Native Adat and Penan Affairs Datuk John Sikie Tayai, who officiated at the event, said the carnival might be held at the resettlement areas in Metalun and Tegulang in future.
Among the activities and sporting events were football, Penan wrestling, arm wrestling, boat racing, blowpipe competition, ‘ngajat’, tug-of-war, motorcycles’ slow race and karaoke competition.

The highlight of the carnival was a beauty contest. It was won by Dora Gurka, with Mentili Tujok as first runner-up and Angela Lahoi as second runner-up.

Belaga assemblyman and Assistant Minister of Culture and Heritage Liwan Lagang in his speech, said the ‘ritual compensation’ or ‘penti pemali kubur’ had been paid in full.

The government recently disbursed some RM4.3 million in compensation to the community as ‘penti pemali kubur’.

He assured that the government would look into their other claims seriously.
Liwan urged them to adopt a cooperative stance rather than a confrontational one as it was easier to solve problems that way.

More than 1,000 Penans from nearby villages converged on the two-day festival. Meanwhile, Wilson Ugak Kumbong, PRS nominated candidate for Hulu Rajang in the impending general election, assured the people that he would do more to transform their communities if he were to be their MP in future.


Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/12/11/first-and-last-pesta-penan-murum-leaves-indelible-mark/#ixzz2EkXiXo7su

A peek at the past-The Borneo

By Chang Yi
VISITING a wooden barok (traditional Bidayuh roundhouse) at a village homestay on the bank of Sungai Sarawak opposite some imposing high-rise five-star hotel is quite an experience.

LOCATION: Signboard of My Village Barok homestay.

One moment you are having coffee in a lovely restaurant, served by uniformed waiters or waitresses, the next moment you are whisked back in time to 1820’s.

An authentic photo of James Brooke in the living room and other historical artefacts and antiques around the building literally “encapsulate” you in a frozen timeframe.

What did James Brooke see when he landed in Kuching in 1824?
Did he see Sungai Sarawak and the little wooden Malay kampung houses standing on stilts on the left bank as he sailed up the river?
Did he notice the small Malay perahu sailing slowly in the river?
Did he have the gut feeling that he would have a castle built on top of the knoll (where the Astana now stands)?
Did he see Malay families on the riverbanks getting on with their lives?
Did he also notice how the womenfolk dried their corns and clothes?
Perhaps, when you visit this particular village homestay, you might get a feel of life in 1824. For me, the best part was checking out the place (My Village Barok B and B). That was when I felt I was stepping into an interesting longhouse-cum-barok with the crew of the Royalist.

Old Iban antiques create a 19th century ambience while old photos from a different era grace the living room.

A very cheerful Gary, the assistant, said the owner (Sophian) of the My Baruk B and B had travelled deep into the interior and bought many of the antiques to fill up his house more than 20 years ago while he was still in government service. The owner had carefully utilised his ‘antique collection’ as décor for the homestay, making each room really comfortable for guests.

Gary was very forthcoming with answers and explanations. Indeed, a huge eyeful! One could not actually see many of these artefacts all at once in one longhouse. And indeed, the owner, with an artistic eye for things of beauty, has made a grand display of his collection.
Noble Savage principle


Seeing is believing. Perhaps that was what James Brooke saw in the longhouses and barok he visited. He, therefore, deemed it necessary to strategise his Noble Savage principle. His knowledge of the native and the Malay populations and the Chinese traders led him to form the principle of Divide and Rule.

Simply put, while ruling Sarawak, James Brooke provided for the Malays to be administrators via their Majlis Adat Istiadat, the Chinese to be given the rights to commerce and the natives (Noble Savages) of Sarawak to be given the rights over the forests and the natural resources.

The Rajah and his European ‘servants’ kept the peace and made laws. Religious freedom was a matter of fact. While the locals were given freedom of worship, European churches also appeared.

James Brooke brought to Sarawak current European concepts of politics and social obligations of the time. His outlook was fairly global. Political life then was “simple and manageable” as the saying goes.

Several photos in My Barok B and B also show the old days
when Chinese shophouses were in their infancy. Other photos show Malay dancers in their splendid costumes.
The most attractive artefact in the baruk is the grand photo of James Brooke with his youthful looks.
The tiny curls on his head make him appear so approachable and interesting.

No wonder, the European ladies of the Court of London found him attractive and were eager listeners of his stories about Sarawak! But alas, no one married the Rajah- who died a bachelor – and his Kingdom of Sarawak was inherited by a nephew.
Original decor
Sophian had painstakingly travelled into the interior to gather the décor from the longhouses in the 1980’s and 1990’s. A few of the pieces can even make some museum curators envious.
The 1880’s lamps, for example, are still functional and placed in the right places to give out low soft lights, filling the rooms with a very welcoming glow.

LOCAL STYLE: Dining the Sarawakian way at My Village Barok B and B.
There are three rooms for customers in My Barok B and B, set amidst Kampung Moyan across Sungai Sarawak from the Penkalan and a visitor can enjoy the “village feel” within hours of touching down at Kuching International Airport.
The family room is very “Sarawak” in appearance. So staying a night there is already a good experience for those in a hurry or who do not have the time to travel inland (which may take three days).
There is also a family room with three beds and another room for two.
Through word of mouth, even foreign tourists have come to stay. Some make friends with their neighbours and exchange emails.
According to Gary, most customers are very happy with their arrangements.
He is well-versed in local culture and history. A short visit – not even a stay – is already well worth one’s time provided Gary is not busy with other visitors.
It’s not often one can have a great conversation at a tourist spot with so many things going on.
But here at the My Barok B and B, you can have a great evening of warm conversation and a nice meal. You can have a very personal experience with Sarawak history and also stay in a room just a stone’s throw from the Astana.
With the portrait of James Brooke looking down from the wall, you can sit down quietly in the living room and view the comings and goings of the modern travellers – both foreign and local – as Malay music plays softly in the background.
Do you think you would have the same dreams as James Brooke? Or would he appear in your dreams and tell you where some treasures are hidden – if he were really the pirate as many people had theorised?

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/12/02/a-peek-at-the-past/#ixzz2DqfUlEia