Life In Borneo

Posted by Daniel on November 6th, 2009 in Events, Sports

October 31st to November 1st, Likas Stadium – It was truly an epic weekend for the titans of Asian rugby as the players from all corners of Asia converged into the stadium for this momentous sports event. The Malaysian Rugby Union was the host for the Borneo Sevens and to receive such  support from the  international sports organizations to hold this spectacular event in Sabah was overwhelming indeed for the locals.

The top 12 teams that participated were Japan (1st seed), Hong Kong (2), China (3), Chinese Taipei (4), Korea (5), Malaysia (6), Thailand (7), Guam (8), India (9), Philippines (10), Brunei (11) and Indonesia (12).

All of the participating nations were grouped into three pools(four in each pool) which begins with a round robin pool before the knockout matches commenced.

The main aspirations of the Asian Rugby Sevens Series is to implement a sevens-specific ranking of Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) nations. Future ARFU tournaments and various sports events shall use this ranking as it is also a relevant aspect in recognizing these Asian teams for IRB World Sevens Series events.

Japan clinched the Asian Rugby Seven Series event at Likas Stadium, Sabah by beating Hong Kong 38-14. They maintained a formidable game record, posting 187 points and only conceding 26 throughout their participation in this event. Korea claimed the Bronze medal after defeating the weary Malaysian team 31-7.

The Borneo Sevens is the third event in the Asian Rugby Seven Series, and it is the second of two ranking events of the whole series. Japan’s win in the Borneo Sevens means that they have a lead at the top of the series standing, closely followed by Korea and Hong Kong.

The most interesting match up of the event was between the sevens of Guam and Thailand. For the former, this was their first time playing in the Asian Rugby Sevens Series. In their match against Thailand, the latter was the favourite team as well as the most experienced between the two in the Asian Rugby Seven Series, but they held their ground and triumphed against the Thais 24-7, finishing seventh place.

The Asian Rugby Sevens Series concluded the event in Borneo for this year with Japan winning the top spot, but the series still has two more events to go: Kish Island Sevens in Iran on 20 and 22 November, and Sri Lanka Sevens on 28 and 29 November of this year.

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Posted by Xander on August 12th, 2009 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals

JULY 26th 2009, Papar Municipal Hall – The 10th  Sabah Gambus Festival 2009 was a spectacle with this years’ venue of the town of Papar. The Association of Bruneian Community of Sabah (help  me translate this better) or the Persatuan Masyarakat Brunei Sabah brings this musical and cultural celebration to promote not only the traditional gambus instrument but also to nurture the the values of the katani ethnics’ customs and traditions as well to preserve a sense of unity and progress in Malaysia.

Gambus, Instrument of Unity was this years’ motto and staying true to such an adage, it can truly be felt from the people and environment in which this occasion took place. Several competitions with a variety of categories that revolves around the gambus instrument took place here in Papar.

Representing the Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Musa bin Haji Aman for the final day of this affair was Yang Berbahagia Datuk Masidi Manjun, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment. Among the delegates and VIPs that also attended were Datuk Karim Bujang, the President of the Association of Bruneian Community of Sabah; Yang Berbahagia Datuk Haji Yusoff Bin Datuk Haji Mohd Kassim and to name a few.

Datuk Masidi Manjun was presented with a memento in the form of the gambus instrument by Datuk Haji Yusoff Kassim to officiate this monumental event for the Bruneian people in Sabah.

Along with the participants of the Gambus Competition, several acclaimed musicians and singers also graced this auspicious affair. These artists includes Fauziah Yunus who brought the gambus instrument to national level by performing all throughout Malaysia and the world, the celebrated guitarist Roger Wang and the illustriously distinguished gambus musician Farid Ali.

The day began with an instrumental piece from the Labuan group which was specially invited by the organizers for this event.

The first team to perform and also one of the participants of the Gambus Competition which is held in conjunction for this festival was performers from Papar that was represented by the Kampung Buang Sayang. Elegant and refined as well as talented they were in a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors and unique performance.

Kg. Warisan, Kota Kinabalu.

Sipitang in a combination of anomalous and regal both in the color and style of their attire.

Kg Binsuluk, of Membakut.

Beaufort, from the town of Menumbok with an impressive portrayal in their dance which depicted the hardships of the Bruneian people as they were once originally fisherman in the past.

Kg. Weston from Kimanis, representing Bongawan.

Winners of Gambus Group Category . . .

Consolation prize went to Kg. Warisan from Kota Kinabalu and Kg. Weston of Kimanis which took home RM1000.

2nd Runner-up, Kg. Buang Sayang from Papar took home RM2000.

1st Runner-up, Menumbok awarded RM3000.

Champion of the Gambus Group category of the Gambus Festival was bestowed upon the group from Kg. Binsuluk which performed for the Membakut district and the prize of  RM5000.

As was last year, Gambus Festival 2009 did not fail to deliver the communal conviviality of such wealth of customs and traditions delivered from the Brunei Society of Sabah.

Any interested party(s) may contact the website admin should they require further information and/or services pertaining to this event.

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Posted by Xander on April 23rd, 2009 in Events

Freedom of Entry Ceremony

18th of April marked another historical day for Sabah where this illustrious event takes place here in Kota Kinabalu city at the Segama Waterfront. The ‘Freedom of Entry Ceremony’ is an old Naval tradition that began since the medieval era, where the City or town council confers the right to the Navy to march with ‘Swords drawn, drums beating, band playing, Colors flying and bayonets fixed’. And staying true to that tradition was what transpired that day with a congregation of multifarious colors and flags of participating countries.

This right to march through is usually conferred with a ‘Key’ by the Lord Mayor and in this event the honour goes to Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim passing the Key to Royal Malaysian Navy’s’ Region 2 Commander, First Admiral Syed Zahiruddin Putra Bin Syed Osman. This represents the city allowing the Navy to exercise its newly conferred right to march through the city.

Among those attended the ceremony were Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun and Sabah Tourism Board Chairman Datuk Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin which was also there to witness the passing of a memento by the First Admiral Syed Zahiruddin Putra Bin Syed Osman to the Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim in commemoration of this event.

Marching Through The City

With over 10 contingents joining this year the march was more than a spectacular performance of uniformity and conduct. The parade started off with the Royal Malaysian Navy which was followed by other detachments from the Indonesian Navy, Royal Brunei Navy, Indian Navy and United States Navy to name a few.

The crowd was in jovial spirits as the parade marched through as onlookers were in awe of the participating contingents which was making their way to the center of the Segama Waterfront where the dignitaries and VIPs were seated. Each participating navy was resplendent in their march as well as their uniform, executing  their drill with flawless perfection as shown here by the Indonesian Navy, some were in their unique attires representing mascots for their detachment.

The Segama Waterfront was used as the location for this years’ event and dotted along the stretch are booths of various government and non-governmental societies and departments were set up. Among them were the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Royal Brunei Navy and Indonesion Navy also known as  Tentera Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL).

The Battleships

After the ceremonies at the Segama Waterfront the lifeinborneo.com crew headed out to the Sabah Ports Authority to witness the ships docked for this very event. Some ships were docked at the Kota Kinabalu Naval Base but those that were open to public was never short of visitors. The Indian Navy had two ships docked which is also their first time being here in Sabah. The Royal Brunei Navy was also here with two ships and also the Royal Malaysian Navy has a patrol class cruiser docked.

We were given a tour by an officer of the Royal Malaysian Navy of the ship KD Kedah. It was indeed an exhilarating as it is a learning experience to enter this Malaysian freigh docked here at the Sabah Ports Authority as well as the ships from the Royal Brunei Navy.

This event was  jointly organized by the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), and Kota Kinabalu City Hall. We hope next year this event would be bigger and more countries would join this ostentatious of ceremonies by the navy.

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Posted by Daniel on July 31st, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals

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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Posted by Eshark on July 11th, 2008 in Culture & Traditions

A Gambus is carved from a single piece of wood shaped like a pear sliced in half and comes with 6 gut strings and sometimes 12 nylon strings that are plucked with a plastic plectrum to generate sound. In peninsular Malaysia, the Gambus is normally played during the Malay traditional dance like Zapin and Joget, while in Sabah, Gambus are played by the Brunei community during important events and festivities like a wedding ceremony.

Gambus can be closely related to the Arabian region where the origin of this unique instrument came from the ‘qabus’ of Saudi Arabian. Gambus also closely related to other Arab country such like the ‘gabbus’ of Oman, the ‘gabbus’ of Zanzibar, the ‘qanbus’ of Yemen, the ‘gabusi’ of the Comoros and also the ‘kabosa’ of Madagascar.

illustration of Gambus is courtesy of esharkdesign.com

info sources:
http://www.musicmall-asia.com/malaysia/instruments/gambus.html
http://www.asza.com/igambus.shtml

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Posted by Raz on May 15th, 2008 in Events

The Sultan of Brunei is celebrating his 62nd birthday in July. His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. His Majesty is the 29th ruler of his line, which began with Sultan Muhammad in 1405.

This is one of the most important events in the national calendar, with activities and festivities held nationwide, beginning with a mass prayer throughout the country. On this occasion, His Majesty the Sultan delivers a royal address, followed by an inauguration ceremony held at the Istana Nurul Iman palace. The event is also marked with gatherings at the four districts where His Majesty meets with his subjects.

Date: 15 July 2008
Venue: Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar Ali Saifuddien

source: www.tourismbrunei.com

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Posted by Raz on May 15th, 2008 in Events, Sports

Venue: Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium
Date: from 16th June to 28th June 2008
Organiser: Youth & Sport Department, Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport

Information & Inquiry:
Youth & Sport Department
Tel: +673 2381904 / +673 2383904 / +673 2383911
Fax: +673 2380042
Website: www.belia-sukan.gov.bn

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Posted by Daniel on May 5th, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals

Sabah Fest 2008 – The Launching

“Welcome to the most spectacular celebration of Sabah’s cultural riches, Sabah Fest!”
That was the first two lines printed on the introduction of the booklet. Indeed, the launching of this year’s Sabah Fest on 3rd May, held at the Magellan Sutera last Saturday, was nothing less than spectacular!

Sabah Fest 2008 – Harmony In Diversity

Sabah Fest is a yearly event aimed to provide visitors the opportunity to see, taste, hear and feel Sabah’s unique culture through a kaleidoscope of cultural performances and spectrum of activities lined up throughout the month of May. Visitors will get to sample local delicacies such as cakes and traditional foods, and also witness unique works of crafts demonstrated live by skilled handicraft makers of various ethnic groups.

This year’s theme is ‘Harmony In Diversity’, which paints a picture of the people of Sabah living in unity within a society of diverse races and cultures. This was strongly reflected in the opening presentation of the launching ceremony with a mock enactment of a wedding ritual of a Bajau bride and a Murut groom. The display began with the matrimonial preparations and celebrations of Bajau bride’s family, which was then joined by the various races to celebrate that occasion and then concluded with a bridewealth presentation and dances of the Murut.

A Spectacle of Diversity and Unity

The evening started with a cultural dance performance by several ethnic groups. Dancers dressed in multitudes of colourful costumes – symbolizing the unity of the people of Sabah – bore gifts to bid a warm welcome to the dignitaries. Among those that attended the event were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussein, Datuk Masidi Manjun who is the current Minister of Culture, Tourism and Environment, and Sabah’s Head of State Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Ahmadshah bin Abdullah, who officiated the launching.

Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Ahmadshah bin Abdullah officiated the event with the hitting of the Gong

Datuk Masidi Manjun presents a souvenir to Head of State Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Ahmadshah bin Abdullah

After the opening presentation, the guests were treated to a variety of ethnic performances. Traditional dances of the Kota Belud Bajau were showed earlier on, namely the Limbai dance, the Kuda Pasu and the Berunsai.

Kudapasu Dance

Igal Tabawan Dance

As the evening went on, dances from other cultures were displayed such as the Dusun Tindal Mongigol, the Igal-Igal dance of the Bajau of Semporna, The Sumazau Penampang and the Sazau Papar of the Kadazandusun, The Nainung and Umang Ting-Ting by the Brunei Malays and the Dansa of the Cocos.

Umang Ting-Ting Dance

Some of the attention-grabbing presentations were performed by the youngest performers of the night. The children of the Dance and Cultural Society of the SK Kiawaian primary school from Tambunan performed the Pangkulian, a creative dance with the inclusion of bamboo play as its central theme.

Pangkulian Dance

Pangkulian Dance

Medtemu Dance

The Medtemu dance of the Ranau Dusun was awe-invoking, where the dancers performed a symbolic war dance of ‘a meeting to settle disputes’. The audience was also treated to a mock traditional Murut Tagal Wedding and the Murut Anggalang, a dance ritual traditionally performed in celebration of a victorious battle or a successful headhunting party (a part of Sabah’s culture no longer in practice). One of the best performance of the evening was the Magunatip, a fascinating dance where the dancers must dextrously skip between clapping bamboos in an ever-increasing tempo.

The Festival has Begun

The opening ceremony signalled the start of the festival, but the closure of the night’s event only marks the beginning of a month full of cultural activities. Ladies and gentlemen, Sabah Fest is back and it’s going to be a very colourful month of May.

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Posted by Raz on April 30th, 2008 in Events

Click on images to zoom

On the 26th of April, Kota Kinabalu had the Freedom of Entry to The City Ceremony at Padang Merdeka. This annual event is jointly organised by the Malaysian Navy and Kota Kinabalu City Hall. It also coincides with the of 74th Navy Day on 27th April. This was my first time watching too.

The event began with the presentation of a “Freedom of Entry To The City” scroll to Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim by Lieutenant Mohd Hazamri Hassan. At 10.00 am, the “Freedom of Entry” March started. The participants consisted of 15 contingents, Royal Malaysian Navy, United States Navy, France Navy, Royal Brunei Navy and 110 secondary students.

The “Freedom of Entry” is an old naval tradition practised since medieval times when the navy enters the city and permission from the Mayor must be obtained. A “scroll” is presented to the Mayor which then allows the Navy to exercise its newly conferred right to march through the city.

Among those present were City Hall Director-General Datuk Dr Chua Kim Hing, RMN Commander Naval region 2 First Admiral Syed Zahiruddin Putra Syed Osman, Acting Fleet Commander Royal Brunei Navy Lieutennat Colonel (L) Haji Aznan Haji Julaihi, Commanding Officer of French Surveillance Frigate Floreal Commander Johann De Villars, Commanding Officer USS Fitzgerald Commander Daniel Dusek, Defence Advisor US Naval Attache US Embassy Kuala Lumpur Captain Claudia Risner, Deputy State Secretary Datuk Maznah Abd. Ghani, and Sabah Tourism Board Chairman Datuk Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin.

At 10.15, the personnel from KD Sri Semporna showed unarmed combat demonstration. These guys are not to be messed with.

Then at 10.30, the crowd was entertained by skilful performance of silent marching by the Tawau RMN Reserve Force.

After that, I headed towards Sabah Ports Authority where the Navy Ships area open for viewing. Upon arrival, I saw that there were boat rides available for RM 2.00. There was also a demonstration by the Malaysian navy’s CB90 as well as the Super Lynx and Fennec helicopters. At 11.45am, I heard the air chopping loud noises. I looked up and saw 2 helis, but they were too far away above the other dock, so I had to run for it.

Then I continued to the Navy Ships that were open for viewing here at Sabah Ports Authority. There were 2 Royal Malaysian Navy ships, 1 from France Navy, and 2 from Royal Brunei Navy. The United States navy ship, USS Fitzgerald was berthed at Sepanggar bay.

Royal Malaysian Navy “KD Pahang”

Royal Malaysian Navy “KTD Kepah”

Royal Brunei Navy “KDB Waspada”

Royal Brunei Navy “KDB Teraban”

France Marine Nationale “F730 Floréal”

For the night events of “Freedom of Entry to The City 2008″, read Jacq’s blog entry. I was already too tired to run around again… maybe next year we’ll all go together, ok?

info source: www.sabahtourism.com

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