We the lifeinborneo team would like to wish all muslims readers and everyone a Selamat Hari Raya Aildilfitri.. May you have a wonderful Syawal and joyous Aildilfitri celebration.

Artwork by EsharkDesign

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Sabah is known for her treasures of the natural world, and one of them is the highland village of Kundasang which lies at the shadow of the granite-clad Mount Kinabalu. Located in the Kundasang valley at an altitude of more than 1,000 metres above sea level, it is one of the highest highland village on the Crocker Range and has one of the highest concentration of farming community in Sabah - quite possibly the whole of Borneo.

Sabah’s original Green Town

The climate of Kundasang makes it ideal for the local farming communities to plant temperate vegetables, and this is evident with the abundance of green edibles that are sold here daily. The most popular export of Kundasang are cabbages, but other vegetables are also planted here such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. These produce will eventually wind up in markets all over Sabah, especially in the west coast.

A picturesque surrounding

Kundasang boasts some of the most spectacular scenic views in Sabah, from the pine forest hills and the cascading mountain terrain, to the evening rays of the setting sun cast through shifting clouds. Not to mention a panoramic view of Mount Kinabalu itself. Combine that with the cool highland climate, and what you have is a perfect environment for visitors to come, relax and enjoy.

The surrounding area of Kundasang is dotted with lodges and chalets - a perfect location for resorts. It is also a mere 6 kilometres away from the Kinabalu Park Headquarters, which is the starting point for visitors who wish the hike up Mount Kinabalu.

Welcome to Kundasang

If you are visiting Sabah, make Kundasang as part of your travel destination. We assure you that it will be an unforgettable experience!

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It was officiated earlier this month on September 1st by Y.B. Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Yahya Hussin. With the multitude of selections presented at the Food Bazaar it is no wonder why the area is packed with so many people even as early as 3 p.m. Upon droves of stalls you can see people from all walks of life coming to this place and some still in their office attire.

Refreshments and Drinks . . .

Some of the staple drinks for breaking fast are the sugar cane juice, lime juice and coconut drinks, though lately the juice stands in the bazaar has diversified its range of refreshments and now you can see an assortment of drinks equally satisfying such as the Carrot juice, Guava and Watermelon.

Pastries and Local Delicacies . . .

In Malaysia, with its multifarious ethnicity and religion it is not surprising to find some of the best and somewhat unique foods available for all travelers to try out. One such food would be the Roti-John. Imagine a hot dog bun and instead of your normal sausage you find yourself biting into scrambled-eggs cooked with minced beef/chicken and onions. It is an enigma on how its name was procured but you’ll find yourself coming back for more of it.

Some other local delicacies includes the onde-onde, kuih lengang, kuih terang-bulan and murtabak-jawa. But no household would be short of one of the more traditional and usually a necessity for breaking fast among the muslim community: Dates. Besides its application in processed foods namely confectionery product, dates are a staple delicacy within the month of Ramadhan; the fasting month.

Grills and Barbecues . . .

The smell of fresh sea foods and chicken wings could jostle your olfactory senses from afar. Though being a food bazaar with a blend of traditional and local delicacies, there are more than just fishes being cooked here. Some includes the the sting-ray, squids, cuttlefish and the well known satay. There are so many stalls to choose from, one should find time to browse through them to find what suits your taste buds.

The Ramadhan Food Bazaar starts its operating hours as early as 1.00 p.m to 6.30 p.m, though it is advisable to come early though due to the fact that most of the best-selling foods here would be finished as early as 5 p.m. But rest assured this bazaar will be on through the whole month of September, and you will find yourself coming back here for more.

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On the 31st August 2008, Malaysians throughout the country commemorated the 51st Hari Merdeka (or Independance Day). Each year on this date, every state in Malaysia will celebrate this day with a march-past, and Kota Kinabalu is no exception - a Merdeka Day parade was held in capital city of Sabah at the Kota Kinabalu Waterfront, with hundreds of participants and spectators attending the event.

31st August 1957 - Independance Day
It was more than half a decade ago when the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, made the official proclamation of independence at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. The proclamation was witnessed by a score of international dignitaries and royalties including Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. It marked the start of a new era for all Malaysians - a new era of freedom and democracy. 51 years later, Sabahans in Kota Kinabalu still honour this day with other Malaysians nationwide.

The theme for this year’s Merdeka Day celebration was Perpaduan Teras Kejayaan, which means “Unity Is The Core of Success.”

The Merdeka Day Parade
The parade began with the arrival of the guests of honours, among whom was Sabah’s Head of State Yang diPertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Shah Abdullah. It then proceeded with the inspection of the guard, followed by the march-past of more than a hundred contingents.

After the march-past, several performances was held in front of the dignitaries; there was a cultural dance show, a martial arts of Silat Cekak demonstration, and an awe-invoking performance by the Fifth Infantry Brigade of the Royal Malaysian Army.

Merdeka!! Merdeka!! Merdeka!!
In this modern age, we tend to take for granted the peace and prosperity that our ancestors have laboured so hard to obtained.

We at Lifeinborneo.com salute the heroes of our country who fought and bleed for our independance and for our freedom. And to all Malaysians, may the years ahead be as peaceful and as prosperous as ever.

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Launched in 2006, the Tun Mustapha Gallery was established to honour a great leader who was a visionary in leading Sabah to Independence. He helped to lay the foundations of a modern and progressive state within the federation of Malaysia (16 September, 1963). Tun Mustapha was the first Governor (1963-1965) of the Malaysian state of Sabah. He was also the third Chief Minister of Sabah from 1967 to 1975. He passed away on 2nd January, 1996 at the age of 76.

Located in premises that once housed the Sabah State Assembly from 1980 - 1995, the Gallery tells the life story of the late Tun Datu Hj. Mustapha bin Datu Harun. Featuring a combination of impactful graphic panels, audio visual-visual and artifacts, the Gallery unfolds the life of this remarkable man, from his humble beginnings to his illustrious term as the former Chief Minister of Sabah.

A classic car from a model of Daimler which before have been used by Tun himself during his official transportation was showcase in the main hall of the gallery.

The Gallery also operates a Souvenir Shop that specialises in high quality crafts that are unique and beautiful, inspired by the traditional motifs of the indigenous tribes of Sabah while fashioned after mainstream culture.

The Tun Mustapha Gallery is located at the Podium Level of Tun Mustapha Tower (formerly known as Yayasan Sabah Tower)

The Tun Mustapha Gallery operates from :
Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Sunday - Closed except Public & School Holiday.

Entrance Fee :
Visitors without MyKad (NRIC) RM15
Visitors with MyKad(NRIC) RM5
Under 12 without MyKad (NRIC) RM5
Goverment staff RM3.50
Students staff RM1.50

additional info source: sabahtourism.com

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Major G.S. Carter, D.S.O. (Toby Carter) a New Zealander employed with Shell Oil Co. (Borneo) initiated the building of the Memorial in 1962, together with the launching of Kinabalu Park; to remember the 2,428 Australian and British prisoners who died during the World War II at the Sandakan POW Camp, and the casualties of the 3 infamous forced death marches i.e. Sandakan-Ranau Death March from Sandakan to Ranau. On top of that, it is also a tribute to the many locals who risked their lives while releasing the prisoners of war. Only 6 Australians recorded survived in this tragedy to tell their horror and no English survivors were recorded.

The ‘fort-like’ Memorial was designed by a local architect by the name of J.C. Robinson. It has 4 interlocking but separate gardens to represent the homelands of those who has died: an Australian Garden, a formal English Garden of roses, a Borneo Garden with wild flowers of Kinabalu and at the top level is the ‘Contemplation Garden’ with a reflection pool and pergola.

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Memorial was beautifully restored in 2005 privately by Mr Sevee Charuruks & with funding provided by the Malaysian Government. The Gardens are replanted with flowers, particularly roses and rare orchids that includes the much sought after valuable Rothchild’s slipper orchids. The memorial is open to local and foreign visitors not only to view the perfect gardens but to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the Freedom of others.

ANZAC Memorial Service and private Memorial Services are welcomed with prior arrangements. The Memorial is open to visitors with minimal entrance fees charged.

info source: wikipedia

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Hundreds of cat lovers went to the Borneo International Cat Show at the Sabah Trade Centre in Likas on the 23rd and 24th of August, 2008. The event, organised by Borneo Cat Club and Cat Fanciers’ Association (USA) and sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, was the first International Cat Show ever in to be held in Sabah.

The Borneo International Cat Show 2008 was originally intended as a one-day event, but due to overwhelming response from the public the organisers decided to make it a two-day event instead.

The event was officiated by Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Yahya Hussin. It was an event of two days of cats galore, 4 Rings All Breed with 2 Rings open on day 1 and another 2 Rings on day 2.

The Borneo International Cat Show 2008 is part exhibition and part competition, where the cats themselves are the centre of attraction. More than a dozen cat owners from Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak participated in this event to show off their beloved feline pets to the public. Cats of many different breeds and colours could be seen on the exhibition floor, ranging from the Persian Longhair to the sleek Siamese.

While the cats on display were the main spectacle for the visitors, it was the cat competition that were the main focus of many of the participants. The cat competition had four categories in which the cats were judged in, which are the Championship Class, Premiership Class, Kitten Class and Household class. The competition also seperated the cats into two groups: the longhaired cats and the shorthaired cats.

The competition was held on both days, but on the second and final day of the competition the scores of all the cats were tallied to see who won the top three spot.

There were also special awards such as Best in Colour, Best in Breed and Judge’s Favourite where each judge nominate their favourite cat in the show. The panel of judges were Becky Orlando, Wayne Trevathan and Diana Rothermel from U.S.A. and Rod U’ren from Australia.

A collections of awards to be grab for cat lovers

The first ever Borneo International Cat Show had a pleasently warm reception, proving that a show such as this is always a welcome event in Kota Kinabalu. We hope to see the Borneo International Cat Show return next year with more people and, of course, more adorable cats.

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Ultimate test of courage, almost nothing is more true than jumping off a 30-storey building and have nothing else between you and an imminent death except the strong winds of the South China Sea. Tun Mustapha Tower, (formerly known as Yayasan Sabah Tower) was that particular building on 9th & 10th August. The jumpers converged at the tower for this momentous event to showcase their skill and of course, bravery.

As the crowd gathered, the accumulation of locals and tourists can’t help but feel awed by the whole show. One of the brave-souls even almost landed among the throng of people gathered but with sheer skill and a little luck; he managed to maneuver himself a few feet away from any spectators.

We had to admit it obviously takes more than just a raw nerves to be up on that tower. Being on top of the 2nd tallest building in Borneo could be a very daunting to normal folks. And for the lifeinborneo.com crew; just being around the jumpers was somewhat comforting and perhaps a little envious of the their level of courage and calmness. To see them simply shrugging-off any fear or doubts and make that leap off the edge was astonishing.

It all started back in 2004 where only a handful of these courageous men trying out the jump from the Tun Mustapha Tower. Since then it has gained popularity and they have been organizing this event; one in 2006 and another in the year 2007.

Officially, year 2008 marks the 3rd year running of such an extreme sports event. Luckily there were no incidents occured this year and hopefully we get to see them again next year.

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The gathering was held at the Roof Restaurant on top of Imperial International Hotel, with an attendance of around 150 people - triple the number of participants compared to the previous year. It was an event that the crew of Lifeinborneo.com wouldn’t want to miss.

Welcome to the Sabahan Bloggers Gathering!

The event started with the emcees DJ Selina Light (from Sabah Vfm) and DJ Fara (also commitee). Then, welcoming speech from a member of the organizing committee, Daniel Franklin Gomez, followed by Robb Chew, the representative of Nuffnang. After that, an inspirational speech from Louis Pang - Sabah’s own international award winning photographer, who is also an active blogger.

DJ Fara and DJ Selina Light of Sabah Vfm

Daniel Franklin Gomez - Blogger Extraordinaire

Robb Chew of Nuffnang

Louis Pang - International Award Winning Photographer

The first performance of the night was by members of the Sabah Institute of Art or S.I.A. The group brilliantly performed two acoustic pieces, one of which was a cover of Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight. There were performances by other local artists on that night as well, namely Locust Day Dream, Richado Tawith and Terry Peter, all of whom performed their own original compositions.

Musical Group from S.I.A.

Terry Peter

Lucky Draw prizes were given away throughout the event, which were sponsored by companies such as Exabytes Network and Nuffnang, the two main sponsors of the event. Unlike the previous year, the event this year received sponsorships from many parties; other sponsors that generously supported the event were Canon, Vedablu, GoShop!, Mango Cafe, Scream Video, Hot Pots, Jofanna Bridal, Louis Pang Studios, KK Box, Olumis Borneo Batik House and Yong’s Color Digital Lab. Imperial International Hotel sponsored by hosting the venue.

Click on the images to zoom

Attire for Jacq and Wei Chuen sponsored by Olumis Borneo Batik House

The night ended with a farewell speech from the organizers and group photo sessions.

The Organizers: Fara, Dinoza, Jacq, Wei Chuen, Imelda, Daniel, Papa Joneh and Julian

Wonderful Tonight indeed

If this year’s Sabahan Bloggers Gathering was a song, it will be akin to a well-written ballad played perfectly by a soulful performer, and those that attended the event would be the listeners who closed their eyes and entranced themselves listening to the mesmeric tune. Sabahan Bloggers Gathering 2008 was indeed a wonderful event, especially so to the community of webloggers that inspired this event in the first place. We enjoyed every moment of it, and we look forward to attend the next bloggers gathering. See you next year!

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Last Sunday was the conclusion of the 9th Gambus Festival (Pesta Gambus) 2008. Sipitang was the host for this year’s three-day annual festival that celebrates the musical culture of the Brunei community in the West Coast of Sabah, with the Gambus instrument as the central theme.

The crew of Lifeinborneo.com went to visit the windswept coastal town of Sipitang on the third day of the event to witness the Gambus Competition Finals, where Gambus troupes from seven zones of the state of Sabah compete to become the state-level champion in the Group Performance category. The 9th Gambus Festival 2008 was held inside the Sipitang Community Hall.

Sipitang, host of this year’s Gambus Festival 2008

The sun shone brightly during the day, but the cool breeze from the ocean kept the crowded town of Sipitang alive and bustling with activities. Rows of tents were setup around the area leading to the community hall. Some of these tents were selling locally made foods and handcrafts, including some handcrafted Gambus. The tents eventually lead up towards the Sipitang Community Hall, where the main event of the day was to be held - the Gambus Competition in the Group Performance category.

Group performances from seven competing groups

After the delivery of the opening speech by the representative of the Chief Minister of Sabah, the event started with an opening musical presentation from the combined performing members of the Association of Sabah Bruneian Society (PMBS), followed by the performance from each of the competing groups, one group at a time. Each group must perform two musical piece selected from a pre-determined list, one of which must be from the compulsory list.

The result for this year’s Gambus Competition in the Group Category are as follow:

Champion - Papar

First Runner-Up - Beaufort

Second Runner-Up - Sipitang

The Gambus still plays on…

That’s all for this year’s Gambus Festival 2008. We hope that the next one will be bigger, brighter, better and somewhere within an hour of driving at most. Until then, we bid our Bruneian brothers and sisters to keep strumming the instrument of cultural unity. See you all next year!

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