Sultan of Sulu won't leave Sabah

MANILA: Philippines President Benigno Aquino warned the Sulu sultan on Tuesday that he would face the "full force of the law" if he did not end a stand-off involving his armed followers in Sabah.

Aquino told Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to recall 180 of his followers, about 30 of whom were armed, from a fishing village near Lahad Datu where they have been facing off with Malaysian security forces since Feb 9.

"If you choose not to cooperate, the full force of the laws of the state will be used to achieve justice for all who have been put in harm's way," Aquino said in a statement aired on national television.

"This is a situation that cannot persist. If you are truly the leader of your people, you should be one with us in ordering your followers to return home peacefully."

He warned Kiram that he had also ordered an investigation "into possible violations of laws by you, your followers, and collaborators engaged in this foolhardy act".

Aquino cited a constitutional provision renouncing war as an instrument of policy and a law prohibiting citizens against inciting war, which is punishable by up to 12 years in prison.

Kiram's followers made a boat trip from their homes on remote islands in the southern Philippines to occupy the Malaysian fishing village two weeks ago, after the sultan gave them a blessing to live there.

Kiram says he is the head of the Sultanate of Sulu, which once controlled parts of Borneo, including the site of the stand-off, as well as southern Philippines islands.

Aquino said his government was working with Malaysian authorities in an effort to peacefully resolve the stand-off. - AFP

Mydaus Javanensis

“Another local expert jungle trekker and hunter, Paul Hnrnp, said he never smelled anything like the stench. He also said one could smell the stench from 10 metres away…” The Borneo Post, Nov 15, 2012.
The recent report of an attacking animal killed by a worker in an oil palm estate in Kampung Baing brought attention to one of the least known and sighted critters of the rainforest – the badger.
Identified by Forest Department research officer Ahmad Apeng as the Stink Badger [Mydaus (from the Greek meaning stinking) javanensis] because of its smell, this animal is rarely seen because it only wanders at night.
In scientific literature, there have been only eight sightings of the animal in Sarawak. An account in 2010 at Kuala Lawas stated one was stuck between a refrigerator and the kitchen wall. Rescue efforts failed when the critter sprayed a milky green liquid. The team from Sarawak Forestry had to retreat because the odour resulted in severe vomiting. The Stink Badger managed to free itself and wandered off. Cleansing the area with strong detergents did not remove the smell. Finally, a very strong bleach was employed and, even then, the smell lingered a year later.
In 1921, three skins were reported in native houses in Mount Murud stretched for sitting on the floor. (I feel this record must be suspect because I doubt anyone would purposely capture and skin one.)
Since the 1920s, there have been scattered field sightings and road kills. Recent camera traps designed to observe other species have not yielded any images and none have shown up on small mammal surveys in Sarawak. The Stink Badger has not been, understandably, studied by scientists to any extent.
For many years, the Stink Badger was placed with the other badgers but has been moved to the skunk family after DNA testing. There are only two Asiatic members; our stinky friend and the more studied, accessible and ‘not as stinky’ Palawan. One of the Java subspecies is named Lucifer after a possible nasty encounter with a researcher.
The life history can only be surmised. It is thought that this skunk relative lives in a burrow with a straight tunnel that leads to a small chamber. There could possibly be around two to four offspring based on the number of teats. Nutrition could be grubs and worms.
A real badger, the Bornean Ferret Badger (Melogale everetti), has also been in the science news recently. It was reported to have been sighted in the Kinabatangan Flood Plain in Sabah. The badger had previously been thought to only occupy an ecological niche of 1,070 to 3,000 metres in the Mount Kinabalu area. However, like the Stink Badger-Skunk, there have been very few sightings made known to science.
Remains of the Borneo Badger found in the Niah Caves in deposits that date back to 40,000 years ago suggest a much wider distribution. The sequencing of weather changes since that time indicates the animal moved to the highlands and now could be migrating to lower altitudes. However, many more sightings must be recorded before any trend can be established.
The badger was collected and sent to England by Alfred Everett (the everetti in the scientific name) who was collecting for Charles Brooke at the behest of Alfred Wallace and Charles Darwin. Local birders will know his name as he had 10 birds named for him. His personal collection was sold to the Natural History Museum in 1872. The badger was subsequently described by Oldfield Thomas and made known to the western scientific community in 1895.
In a fascinating aside, Alfred Everett was part of an expedition searching for a missing link to modern man. While surveying the Niah Caves, he collected and sent back to the museum the jawbone of an orangutan. This bone could very probably have become part of the infamous Piltdown Man, who was assembled 15 years after Everett’s death. The scientific hoax combined the jaw of an orangutan with the skull of a modern human to show modern man could have evolved in Britain and not far flung places like Asia or Africa. The fraud would not be exposed until 1953, 40 years later.
The Malaysian Nature Society
Established in the 1940, the Malaysian Nature Society is the oldest scientific and non-governmental organisation in Malaysia. Our mission is ‘to promote the study, appreciation, conservation and protection of Malaysia’s nature heritage’. Our 5,000-strong membership, spread across 12 branches nationwide, come from all walks of life, bound by a common interest in nature. For further information on membership or our activities in Kuching, call Kwan on 019-8349499. For information on our activities in Miri, call Nazeri Abghani on 085-453185. You can also visit www.mns.org.my or
http://mnskuching@blogspot.com.


Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/02/24/a-bad-smell-throughout-history/#ixzz2LmPM3tpC

‘Highway’ no better than village road, says humanitarian worker

KUCHING: Humanitarian worker Syed Ahmad Abdul Hadi Syed Hussein, who has travelled on a motorcycle to three different continents, is appalled at the road conditions in the state.

Having just completed his two-month 2012 Equator Challenge on a 130cc bike, 41-year-old Hadi said road conditions in some parts of the state were no different to the ones in neighbouring Kalimantan, Indonesia.

“I drove from Brunei to Kuching and what I saw appalled me. I paid toll of RM1 and I asked where the highway was? I was shocked to see the ‘highway’ because it’s just like any village road. I pity the locals who have to pay and use the ‘highway’ daily.

“They deserve better roads. I’m in my own country but I feel like I’m still in Kalimantan when travelling along the road. Our country is not poor but why do we still have such poor infrastructure,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

A few years ago, Hadi created history when he travelled from Kuala Lumpur to London on his motorcycle.

Hadi said while riding around the world, he would tune in to local radio stations for information.

“Having travelled the world and worked in various places, I believe in access to information. Without information, we cannot make decisions, even on the road,” he said.

On an unrelated matter, Hadi said Malaysians of different backgrounds had learnt to live in peace and harmony with each other since decades ago.

As such, he said it was everyone’s job to take good care of the country without putting any labels on it, including political parties.
By Zora Chan, The Star

Panchor Hotspring

Panchor Hot spring located 48km away from Kuching along the Kuching-Serian Rd. Pass The town of Tapah drive a farther 300m and make right turn (only at the second right turn).

Borneo Talk

BorneoTalk is published by Bumi Serasi. The contents of the magazine may not be reprinted or reproduced without prior written permission. The publisher is not liable for statements made and opinions expressed in the publication.

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