Life In Borneo

Posted by Daniel on January 1st, 2009 in Events

As the year 2008 came to a close, we at Lifeinborneo.com decided to take this opportunity to look back at some of the events of last year that the crew covered and share it with all our readers.

January to March
The year started quietly, as there weren’t a lot of events happening, except for one: the welcoming of the year of the rat. The Chinese community celebrated the Chinese new year in February with enthusiasm. We get to see lion dance performances, as well as the open house tradition happening all over Kota Kinabalu.

February was also the month where citizens of Kota Kinabalu celebrate the anniversary of the city on 2nd February of each year. The city hall organized a street parade at the Promenade Boulevard to commemorate this event.

Kota Kinabalu City Day 2008

April to June
As the first quarter of 2008 passed by, the night life in KK started to pick up. Blue Note started their Generation Y events, which brought in DJs from some of West Malaysia’s hottest club to spin dance tunes for KK’s night owls. Shenanigan’s Fun Pub brought J-Style fashion to KK with there Harajuku Night, where they showed models attired in Japan’s latest and most extreme teen fashion.

Generation Y

Harajuku Night

While the night partied, the morning saw international events on the seas and shores of Sabah. On the 26th of April 2008, Kota Kinabalu held the Freedom of Entry to The City ceremony at Padang Merdeka, where participants from the Royal Malaysian Navy, US Navy, Marine Nationale of France and the Royal Brunei Navy took part in the ancient naval tradition. On the 23rd of April 2008, dragon boats tore through the waters of Likas Bay during the 23rd Sabah Dragon Boat Race 2008, which saw the new-comers and locals from Tuaran beat the reigning champion Brunei for the grand prize.

Freedom of Entry to The City 2008

Sabah Dragonboat Race 2008

But the highlight was definitely in May, when Sabah and Sarawak celebrated the Harvest Festival. In Sabah, May was the time for Sabah Fest, when cultural events took place throughout the month, which ended with the most anticipated event in the Sabah Calendar - The Unduk Ngadau Grand Finals. We also went to Sarawak to experience the Sarawak World Harvest Festival 2008, where we covered their International Cultural Concert, a spectacular theme play based on a local Bidayuh folklore and the grand finals for Miss Fair & Lovely WHF 2008, Sarawak’s own unique ethnic beauty pageant.

Unduk Ngadau Grand Finals 2008

Unduk Ngadau Grand Finals 2008

Unduk Ngadau Grand Finals 2008

Sarawak World Harvest Festival 2008 - Cultural Concert

Sarawak World Harvest Festival 2008 - Panglima Kulow Theme Play

Sarawak World Harvest Festival 2008 - Miss Fair & Lovely WHF 2008

July to September
Things started to slow down after May, but there were events that kept the Lifeinborneo.com crew busy. In July, the Lifeinborneo.com team went to to coastal town of Sipitang to catch the conclusion of the 9th Gambus Festival 2008 - the biggest Gambus festival in Sabah.

Gambus Festival 2008 in Sipitang

In August 2008, we covered more interesting events: the Borneo International Cat Show 2008 at the Sabah Trade Centre and the Sabahan Bloggers Gathering 2008 at Imperial International Hotel. The Borneo International Cat Show was the first international cat show ever to be held in Sabah (and perhaps of Borneo) while the Sabahan Bloggers Gathering invited bloggers from all over Sabah. Also there was the Base Jumping event at the Tun Mustapha Tower.

Borneo International Cat Show 2008

Sabahan Bloggers Gathering 2008

Base Jumping at Tun Mustapha Tower

August and September were also important to everyone in Malaysia. 31st of August 2008 was Merdeka Day for Malaysia, and a Merdeka Day Parade was held at the Kota Kinabalu Waterfront. September 20008 was the fasting month for the Muslim community, known as the Month of Ramadhan. It was also a month which saw multitude of street hawkers selling delicacies that can only be found during the Ramadhan at Food Bazaars.

Merdeka Day Parade

Ramadhan Food Bazaar

October to December
As the Muslim community celebrated Aidilfitri, events in Kota Kinabalu started picking up again. First, there was the Borneo International Marathon 2008 - the first of its kind to be held - which brought in participants from all over the world. Then we have the Tattoo and Art Exhibition at the Monsopiad Cultural Village (a part of a month-long arts event). After that we went to Kota Belud to cover the Annual Traditional Open-Air Market, where we brought you the Tamu Kota Belud - the biggest open-air market in Sabah - the horsemanship of the Bajau people.

Borneo International Marathon 2008

Tattoo Art Exhibition at Monsopiad Cultural Village

The traditional Tamu Besar Kota Belud

In November 2008, we attended the ‘Bear Necessities’ Fundraising Event which was held at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa. It was the biggest fundraising event we’ve covered so far. The event successfully raised a total amount of RM1.3 million, which will kick-start the construction of the biggest Sun Bear conservation centre in Borneo.

BSBCC Fundraiser Event

As the Christmas season filled the air in December, we covered clickstartplay.com’s HobbyCon 2008, the biggest hobby convention in KK yet. Then we covered the last sports event of 2008 in KK, the F2 World Cup Powerboat Race 2008. We end our December (and our event-coverage spree of 2008) with Red Bull Female Driver Search 2008, which was held at 1Borneo.

HobbyCon 2008

F2 World Cup Powerboat Race 2008

Red Bull Female Driver Search 2008

It has been a good year for Lifeinborneo.com. We hope that all our readers had a good year as well, and wished you all will have a better year in the new year. We look forward to experiencing the life in Borneo in 2009 with all our readers.

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Posted by Xander on November 20th, 2008 in Events, Wildlife

Friday, November 14th 2008 marks a historical and monumental day in which the first major collaboration between conservationists, several corporate companies and the government took place. The BSBCC (Borneo Sun Bears Conservation Center) Fundraiser Event was held at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa at 6.30 pm and it was attended by the Chief Minister of Sabah, Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun and Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim.

It was a night equivalent of the Grammys night where all the distinguished guests and the socialites from all over Malaysia graced the event with their presence. The stage was set in an extravagant and picturesque manner identical to the forests of Borneo and the ambiance imbued throughout the grand ballroom was unlike any other.

An event as opulent as this would not be complete without the participation of celebrities, musicians and artistes. The hosts for the evening was television personality Daphne Iking, and actor/playwright/comedian Jit Murad. Also hosting was talented actresses Ida Nerina, Joanna Bessey, and Lina Teoh (Miss Malaysia World 1998 Winner, Miss World 1998 2nd Runner Up). Seeing these glamorous and talented people gracing the stage that night was indescribable and  they made the whole event inordinate and ostentatious as it already were.

Daphne Iking and Jit Murad

Ida Nerina

Lina Teoh

Joana Bessey

The show would not be complete without the talented and multifarious assortment of musicians that came on stage on that night. They started the evening with a performance by Amir Yussof, Rafique Rashid and Badar. They sang a song titled “Calling On You” which was specially written by Amir, a song beautifully composed for the Sun Bears. Rafique and Badar was also joined later by Albert Sirimal to perform a wonderful song called “House in Pooh’s Corner”.

Amir Yussof

Rafique Rashid, Amir Yussof, Albert Sirimal and Badar

Albert Sirimal

Jit Murad

The night didn’t end there, more performances ensued the whole night including musicians like Roger Wang which did an acoustic piece of the song “Imagine” by John Lennon. One song which took the crowd into a very jovial mood was a ”re-write” version of the famous tune ‘Bear Necessities’ which was performed by Rafique Rashid and Roger Wang. All of the musicians that night was simply ingenious, exquisite and exceptional to say the least.

Roger Wang

Rafique Rashid and Roger Wang

Also included as the highlights of the night, special auctions was held for the guests. Items included art pieces from exceptional and prominent local artists such as Mariana Musa, Wong Siew Lee, Wolf Sungmanitu Peters, Cede Prudente, Tony Gonzales, and Sarah Lim. Most art pieces such as the sculpture named ‘Obama’ from Wolf Sungmanitu Peters started the bids at MYR 1500 onwards. The highest bid made that night was Sarah Lim’s painting titled “Wake Up Call” which was around at MYR 40,000+.

All the proceeds that night including the auctions would go to the construction and maintenance of the BSBCC which will be situated at Sepilok. An infrastructure dedicated to keeping and studying the endangered Sun Bears, in which Borneo is its last hope for survival due to the fact that all over the region of South East Asia, their numbers are in fast decline.

Wong Siew Te, which is also known by some as the ‘Sun Bear Man’ took the stage and told tales of Cerah, a Sun Bear which is one of the bears under his care. Cerah means ‘bright’ in the Malaysian language. Executive Director of LEAP, Cynthia Ong also came on stage to show a planned infrastructure for the sun bears which is located near the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Center.

Wong Siew Te

Cynthia Ong

The MoU on BSBCC was signed by Laurentius Ambu of the Sabah Wildlife Department, Datuk Sam Mannan of Sabah Forestry Department and LEAP by Cynthia Ong and was witnessed by YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman. In his speech, he also announced a government match of one to one on total donations.

YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman

It is a milestone event in conservation history for it is the first time such a major collaboration ever took place in Malaysia. An estimate of MYR 1.3 million was raised that night towards this project and it shows that cooperation between the conservationists, large corporate companies and the government is not only possible but also can be very overwhelmingly successful.

A night of elegance, cheers and jovial ambiance within a spectacular event all for a very important cause - the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center. With such a monumental event, it was also gracefully ended as all the artistes and musicians took center stage and sang, ‘Conviction of the Heart’.

Special thanks to Wong Siew Te, Cynthia Ong and Amir Yussof for having the LifeInBorneo.com crew be part of this prestigious event.

Photos by Eshark and Zie

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Posted by Daniel on November 15th, 2008 in Events, Wildlife

The fundraising event for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre went down successfully last night at the Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa on Friday 14th November 2008. The event was able to raise a total of RM 1.3 million, which exceeded far beyond anyone’s expectations.

A line-up of Malaysia’s best-known musicians, television and film personalities delivered “compelling conservation messages with music, comedy, bear stories, art and rare video footage of Sun Bears in the wild, as well as a Sun Bear-themed live auction of specially commissioned or donated artwork.”

The dinner was attended by a host of dignitaries including the Chief Minister of Sabah Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman as the guest of honour, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun and Kota Kinabalu City Major Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim.

Stay tuned to Lifeinborneo.com as we bring you the full coverage of the event in our next article.

Update: Full article is now online. Read on>>>

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Posted by Xander on November 13th, 2008 in Wildlife

Upon reaching LEAP office, I was warmly greeted by Wong Siew Te who heads the conservation efforts with the Sun Bears. As I walked in, the place was full of energy where there were a handful of people working hard to make this event a momentous occasion. I was also greeted by Cynthia Ong, which is the Executive Director and founder of LEAP.

Lifeinborneo.com was given this enormous opportunity to meet up with these individuals whom are   energetic, passionate, enthusiastic and fervent people that have put their whole hearts into the efforts with the Sun Bears also known as Helarctos malayanus.

The Borneon Sun Bear Conservation Centre is a project aimed for the research, habitat conservation, education, and rehabilitation of the sun bears; one of the eight bear species in the world that has been somewhat overlooked by other wildlife biologists and conservationists. According to Wong, the number of sun bears in the wild especially Borneo is still unknown due to the fact that there is still insufficient data collected concerning these species.

“It is estimated to be around 8-12 sun bears per 100 square kilometers in Borneo and this number will only decrease especially with the alarming rate of poaching of these bears. Even the trappings are still rampant among those that lives near the plantations and deep edges of the the jungles just to prevent them from entering their territory. These are only a few of the reasons why this project is so important for them (the Sun Bears) and now is the time to do it.”, as Wong elaborated.

I asked Wong whether there are any sun bears still being exploited today and this is what he pointed out to me, ” Some irresponsible individuals keep certain protected species and use them as a symbol of social status in their homes and these include the Sun Bears. Sadly this ‘trend’ is still unchecked especially in Malaysia and Indonesia. The laws that are supposedly protecting these creatures are in a way still not good enough to ensure that they are taken care of properly.  They are kept in ‘private’ zoos in their back yard and are treated poorly by keeping them in small cages. Some people have different views of ‘well taken care of’ in this matter and their lack of knowledge and expertise with these animals are a great concern to us.”

It is well known that corporations in the United States and other foreign countries to give out large contributions to conservation efforts which they usually practice in their respective countries but this would be the first time this sort of collaboration is transpiring in Malaysia.

I asked Cynthia Ong if anyone ever done such an endeavor before, due to the fact that it is quite unheard of in Malaysia. She says, “It’s the first time in Malaysian history that the forestry, logging, palm oil plantations and several large corporations contributing to this conservation effort. These corporations will be collaborating with various NGO’s, Sabah Wildlife Department and working together on this ‘one-of-a-kind’ conservation effort. It is a major breakthrough for the conservationists to have this kind of reception which is very overwhelming.”

Wong explained further, “With the corporate companies utilizing the environment all these years for their interests, they too have the responsibility to do their part in helping with the conservation efforts.”

This event will not only pave the way for other parties which have not taken part in this project but also as a reminder that everyone can have a role in this endeavor which has long since been overlooked.

The contributions towards this occasion is the quintessential reason that this endeavor is taking place here in Sabah and the funds raised would be used to construct and maintain the BSBCC for the next 2 years. It is  a center where they could do more in depth cooperation with the people from the plantations, educating them about the dangers of poaching and/or trapping these endangered species.

The BSBCC, which is planned to be constructed at Sepilok would be a place to keep the confiscated bears from the wilds. Wong frequently comes to its temporary facility which is near Sepilok where there are 11 sun bears there at the moment with an enriched environment and natural forest enclosures.

“With the BSBCC, we could educate the people about the Sun Bears and create awareness among them and why it is crucial that they too do their part in helping these animals. With such an infrastructure it will also bring hope for these bears which so many people haven’t even heard of. Did you know that the biggest sun bear I’ve encountered only weighed only 56 kilograms? We have everything in our own backyard to help these bears; perfect climate and environment to further study and learn more about them”, as elaborated by Wong on the importance of such a facility here in Borneo.

With Wong Siew Te and Cynthia Ong at the helm of this monumental effort, along with other various agencies and government departments; it is not enough to help these endangered animals to secure their safe future. Without the help and support of the public it simply cannot be done, therefore; why not be part of this event and do your part in this event which promises to be an event unlike any other ever held in Malaysia. The public support is needed for this event to happen.

Quote from Wong Siew Te, ” We have to work together to make things happen and as long as we don’t lose hope, there are so much that we can achieve. We should not delay any longer and now is the right time we take up this endeavor further and push it forward and realize that it can be done, here in Malaysia. ”

Seats are still available for the Bear Necessities event. The individual seats are priced at MYR 500, MYR 1000, MYR 2000, MYR3000 and MYR 5000.

Many thanks to Cynthia Ong, Executive Director and found of LEAP and Wong Siew Te for giving us the opportunity to learn more of their work and the importance of such an undertaking.

*Photos by Roy Ajin.

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Posted by Daniel on November 12th, 2008 in Announcement, Wildlife

An array of Malaysia’s best-known musicians, television and film icons will come together for one night to raise funds for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, to be established at Sepilok, Sandakan. Aptly named ‘Bear Necessities’, this fundraising event will be held at Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa on Friday 14th November 2008 at 6.30pm.

The Malayan Sun Bear

Borneo is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, where some of them are unique to the forest of Borneo. The Malayan Sun Bear is one such animal. The sun bear is the smallest of the world’s eight bear species, about 1.2 metres (4 feet) in length. Its name comes from the orange-yellowish marking on its chest, which looks like a crescent-shaped sun. It has short and sleek fur, unlike other members of the bear species, and dark black or brown-black in colour. The sun bear is also an excellent climber - it has large paws with hairless soles and long claws that help them move about with ease high up in trees.

A threatened species

The Malayan Sun Bear was once widespread throughout Southeast Asia, but now its home is fast diminishing. Sabah is one of the last few places where this animal can still be found in the wild. It is under constant threat, its natural habitat in the wild disappearing from forest degradation. They are also illegally hunted for food and for medicines. They clash with human settlements at times and are often shot to prevent damage to crops. The sun bears are also victims to poaching, captured as small cubs for the pet trade.

Under the Sabah Wildlife Enactment, the Malayan Sun Bears are a classified as Totally Protected Species, and keeping or killing bears or selling bear parts is illegal.

The Mission

The goal is to raise RM1.2 million so construction can begin on the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, which will be located adjacent to the world famous Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre near Sandakan.The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre aims to provide a holistic approach to Sun Bear conservation, combining improved facilities for captive bears with increased public awareness both locally and internationally, and perhaps most importantly, release back into the wild of bears which can be rehabilitated. The confiscated and orphaned sun bears are currently kept in small cages with no access to outdoor areas. The Centre will provide the bears, of which 11 are presently kept in Sepilok, with an enriched environment, natural forest enclosures and improved welfare. There will also be much needed interpretation and education facilities for visitors.

As of yet, there is no facility in Sabah to house the growing number of bears which are confiscated by Sabah Wildlife Department from captivity or rescued as orphans.

Based on the theme ‘Sun Bears and the Rainforest’, the Bear Necessities evening promises to be an extraordinary one, combining compelling conservation messages with music, comedy, bear stories, art and rare video footage of Sun Bears in the wild, as well as a Sun Bear-themed live auction of specially commissioned or donated artwork. The overwhelming support forthcoming from some of Malaysia’s most dynamic, talented and environmentally-aware artistes shows that there is a growing commitment from young Malaysians to conserve and cherish our natural heritage. The hope is that Sun Bears may become another flagship species for Sabah and Malaysia, representing and highlighting the crucial need for wildlife and habitat protection.

The Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman will be the Guest of Honour for the night which is being hosted by Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department and the NGO LEAP. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun will also be attending together with Kota Kinabalu City Major Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim and international donors.

An MoU on the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre will be signed by Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department and LEAP on the night, witnessed by the Sabah Chief Minister.

Tables are priced at RM50,000 (10 tables); RM30,000 (10 tables);RM20,000 (10 tables) and Rm10,000 (20 tables). Buyers of the RM50,000 tables get one seat at the top table. The event is co-sponsored by Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa and all proceeds go to the Bornean Sun Bear Trust Fund.

In our next article, we will bring you the interview of Wong Siew Te, co-chair to the Sun Bear Expert Team for the IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group(2002-2005) & Cynthia Ong, Executive Director of LEAP and a Director of Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.

For more information on the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre or the Bear Necessities Event, please contact:
Tel: 088 270705 / 012 8281705 and Email: info@leapspiral.org

* Source: Press Release of the Bear Necessities Fundraising Event

* images from: http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/

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Posted by Daniel on November 3rd, 2008 in Events

A huge gathering of traders, buyers and visitors went down to the Tamu Besar Kota Belud on the fourth weekend of October. The annual event started on Saturday on the 25th of October and lasted for two days, during which many activities both traditional and modern took place.

A means to trade

In the old days, a tamu (which means Gathering in the local tongue) was a place where traders from different tribes could barter for goods with one another in an open-air market. This practice still goes on today, and has become an attraction for tourists. These open-air markets can be found in many other places of Sabah, but the biggest of them all can be found only in one place - the Tamu Besar Kota Belud. Many items of daily use can be acquired such as parangs, shoes, clothing and fresh produce.

Open-air activities

There were many activities in store everyone. There was a cooking competition and a singing contest held on the first day. Ratu Serimpak, the event’s beauty pageant was held on the second day. There were also sport competitions such as buffalo racing, relay race (where the buffalo riders must pass the baton to their horseriding team mates) and a variation of the “musical chair” game that involves horse-riding.

Throughout the two-day event, cultural performances entertained the visitors while traders displayed their goods to eager buyers.

One of the highlights of the event is the display of horsemanship by the Bajau people of Kota Belud, famously known as the Cowboys of the East. Around a hundred Bajau horsemen performed complicated manoeuvres on the field to form iconic symbols of the country, such as the hibiscus (the national flower of Malaysia). Both horsemen and steeds (which are actually ponies) were adorned in colourful costumes and bells distinctively of Bajau designs.

The image of the tamu might have changed according to times, but its purpose hasn’t changed throughout the ages. It’s a testament to Sabah’s multicultural unity, and we hope that this practice will continue on for many more generations.

Photos by Eshark of EsharkDesign.com

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