Sarawak tribes and orang-utans of Borneo

We were amazed at our recent visit to the Sarawak Cultural Village and Semenggoh Orang Utan Sanctuary near Kuching. An eye-opener of what’s truly amazing about Borneo Sarawak, that is irresistible!

Located near the Mount Santubong and facing the South China Sea, the Sarawak Cultural Village is also the place for the Borneo Rainforest Music Festival in July. Like a “living museum”, they portray the various ethnic tribes in the Borneo state of Sarawak and its rich cultural diversity:bridges in the traditional way

Bidayuh:

The Bidayuh (8.4% of Sarawak’s population) – nicknamed by early Europeans as “Land Dayaks” - live mainly in the catchment of the Sarawak and Sadong rivers. They built their houses in mountain fastnesses, tacked to a steep hillside like a huge staircase. This was partly for protection against enemies, partly for access to fresh water.

Iban:

The Iban, once known as “sea dayaks” (one-third of Sarawak’s population) built their longhouses to last 20 years or until the farmland was exhausted. Many families live together in a single longhouse. The traditional longhouse is made of timber tied with creeper fibre, roofed with leaf thatch, built beside the river.

Communal living in an Iban longhouse

Iban longhouse is…long!

Iban dance

Penan:

The shy nomadic people of the jungle, the Penans, live in the dense virgin jungles of Central Borneo. Penan shelters are quickly constructed to last a few weeks or months. Penans are also known to make the blowpipes with poison darts (from the sap of the upas tree) for hunting in the jungles.

A Penan in his hut making a blowpipe

Orang Ulu:

Orang Ulu, “up-river dwellers” is used to describe the people living in Central Borneo along the upper reaches of Sarawak’s rivers, and they account for about 5.5% of Sarawak’s population comprising of the Penan, the Kayan and Kenyah. In the past, Orang Ulu were famous as sword-smiths. Traditionally they built their longhouse to last.

Melanau:

The Melanau people (5.8% of Sarawak’s population) used to traditionally live near the sea within reach of the pirates. The Melanau built massive houses 40 feet above the ground. They also differ from most other Borneo people in that they prefer to eat sago rather than rice.

Then we headed to the famous Semenggoh Orang Utan Sanctuary - located 20 km away from Kuching – a safe haven for the Orang-Utan, an endangered species and Southeast Asia’s lone great ape genus. These gentle and shy creatures spend most of their time foraging for food among the trees in private but they’ve learnt to come out of hiding during the park’s regular feeding schedule. Did you know that the word “orang-utan” is derived from the Malay language meaning Man of the Jungle?

This was an incredible discovery for us and I’m proud we have something so amazing here in Malaysia!

source: http://frogandprincess.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/sarawak-tribes-and-orang-utans-of-borneo/

Abolishing exams: first discussion on Monday

PUTRAJAYA (July 16, 2010): The first roundtable session on the proposed abolition of Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) will be held here on Monday.

Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said the discussion, which would be chaired by him at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, would be attended by about 100 educators.

They include state education directors, ministry's division directors, district education officers, principals, headmasters, union leaders and teacher association representatives, he told Bernama.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently said the government was studying the possibility of abolishing UPSR and PMR as the current system was too exam-oriented.

Alimuddin said the roundtable session would merely seek input and provide an opportunity to the ministry to explain the proposed abolition of the two public examinations.

"No decision will be made at the meeting. The rationale on the merit of abolishing the examinations will be presented by the Malaysian Examination Syndicate while participants will be given the opportunity to air their views," he said.

He said the second roundtable discussion would be held on July 27 involving academics, NGOs, politicians and other interested stakeholders.

Alimuddin said the input, including public opinion through the media and e-mail, would be compiled and presented to Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister in the middle of next month. -- Bernama

16 Julai, 2010 20:09 PM

Penyelarasan Subsidi, Langkah Berani Untuk Masa Depan -Najib

KUANTAN, 16 Julai (Bernama) -- Penyelarasan subsidi merupakan satu langkah berani yang diambil kerajaan bagi meletakkan ekonomi Malaysia di landasan kukuh pada masa depan, kata Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Perdana Menteri berkata, keputusan berkenaan bersifat jangka masa panjang yang bakal memberi kesan kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi dan kesejahteraan rakyat.

"Sebagai kerajaan yang bertanggungjawab, kita mesti berani membuat keputusan yang bersifat meletakkan ekonomi negara di landasan lebih kukuh pada masa depan.

"Kalau kita fikir kesan jangka masa pendek sepanjang masa, maka kita bukan kerajaan yang bertanggungjawab, kerajaan sedemikian boleh membawa negara ke arah keadaan tidak menentu," katanya ketika berucap merasmikan Hari Koperasi Negara di sini, hari Jumaat.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, penyelarasan subsidi yang dilakukan kerajaan masih berpegang pada prinsip meminimumkan bebanan rakyat.

Katanya, rakyat negara ini sebenarnya masih membayar harga petrol, diesel, petroleum gas cecair (LPG) dan gula jauh lebih rendah berbanding negara jiran.

"Sebagai contoh, gula di Malaysia RM1.90 sekilogram, tetapi di Thailand RM2.60 sekilogram, Indonesia RM3.68 dan Filipina RM3.46," katanya.

Katanya, penyelarasan itu juga mempunyai hikmah kerana kebanyakan subsidi yang diberikan kerajaan bukan menguntungkan kumpulan sasar.

Najib berkata, dua pertiga subsidi bahan api ketika ini diperolehi golongan berpendapatan tinggi dan sederhana berbanding satu pertiga oleh golongan yang memerlukannya.

"LPG juga sebanyak 70 peratus merupakan mereka yang terlibat dalam perniagaan, hanya 30 peratus merupakan pengguna suri rumah," katanya.

Selain itu, katanya, penyelarasan subsidi gula pula dapat menangani masalah penyakit kencing manis yang menunjukkan trend berbahaya di negara ini.

Katanya, pada masa ini, 1.4 juta rakyat negara ini mengalami penyakit berkenaan yang memerlukan usaha bagi menanganinya.

Pada majlis berkenaan, Najib turut melancarkan Dasar Koperasi Negara 2011-2020 yang bakal memetakan hala tuju gerakan koperasi sebagai enjin ketiga pertumbuhan ekonomi negara.

Beliau berkata, bagi membantu koperasi dalam penyediaan modal untuk melaksanakan aktiviti ekonomi, kerajaan telah memperuntukkan dana tambahan sebanyak RM100 juta melalui Suruhanjaya Koperasi Malaysia (SKM) pada tahun ini.

Katanya, sebelum ini SKM telah menyediakan dana di bawah Tabung Modal Pusingan (TMP) berjumlah RM387 juta.

"Saya difahamkan SKM telah berjaya memberi pinjaman sebanyak RM668 juta kepada koperasi-koperasi," katanya.

-- BERNAMA

Prices of fuel, sugar higher now

July 16, 2010, Friday

RON 95, diesel 5 sen more per litre; sugar 25 sen and LPG 10 sen more per kg

KUCHING: The blogsphere was all wired up as early as 7.30pm yesterday on a raise in the prices of petrol, diesel, sugar and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Prime Minister: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Big name news portals with Kuala Lumpur datelines did not quote anyone but they were saying that all items would be selling higher after midnight.

A litre of RON 95 and diesel would sell 5 sen higher while a kilogramme of sugar would go up by 25 sen and LPG 10 sen.

RON97, meanwhile, would no longer be subsidised but would be subjected to a managed float, meaning the price would be determined by the automatic pricing mechanism.

According to the reports, prices after midnight (last night) would be: RON 95, RM1.85 per litre; diesel, RM1.75 per litre; sugar, RM1.90 per kg; and LPG, RM1.85 per kg.

The new LPG prices would be: RM25.90 from the previous RM24.50 for the 14kg cylinder, which is an increase of RM1.40; RM22.20 from the previous RM21 for the 12kg cylinder, which is an increase of RM1.20; and RM18.50 from the previous RM17.50 for the 10kg cylinder, an increase of RM1.

Meanwhile, an online national paper report quoted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as saying yesterday that the government had to cut subsidies but with minimum impact on the people.

On May 27, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala was reported to have said that Malaysia could go bankrupt if the government did not reduce subsidies while continuing to depend on loans.

Idris warned that Malaysia’s debt would increase to 100 per cent of its GDP by 2019 from the current 54 per cent if subsidies were not cut.

sumber: http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=48833

Category : Latest News

China UFO Over Hangzhou Airport

July 16th 2010 Posted at Latest News
0 Comments

China UFO 2010: An Unidentified Flying Object appeared over China’s Hangzhou airport on July 7, 2010. The unusual incident force airport authorities to cancel and delay 18 flights.

The object with bright lights flying above the sky was something that cannot be explained by the people who saw it. The impressive UFO images and videos have quickly made their way to the top of searches on the Web.

There are all sorts of opinions on the Web about the origin of the light in the sky. Read More…

Perasmian karnival jualan sempena Pesta Limau Bintangor 2010

July 13, 2010, Tuesday

BINTANGOR: Perasmian karnival jualan sempena Pesta Limau Bintangor 2010 akan berlangsung pada Ahad ini (18 Julai).

Menurut pihak penganjur, majlis perasmian karnival jua­lan itu akan disempurnakan oleh Menteri Pembangunan Sosial dan Urbanisasi Sarawak, Dato Sri Willam Mawan Ikom.

Majlis berkenaan akan ber­langsung di pekarangan tebingan sungai, Jalan Dermaga, Bintan­gor bermula jam 9.30 pagi.

Tujuan karnival ini diad­akan adalah untuk memberi ruang kepada para pengusaha untuk mempamerkan hasil dan mempromosikan produk masing-masing selaras dengan hasrat pihak jawatankuasa un­tuk mempromosikan Bintangor agar menjadi sebuah pusat per­niagaan yang mampu bergerak aktif serta produktif menerusi kegiatan ekopelancongan.

Karnival jualan itu adalah terbuka kepada semua pihak yang berminat untuk meny­ertainya.

Bagi mana-mana agensi kerajaan, swasta, pertubuhan dan persatuan yang berminat untuk mengikuti karnival ini boleh mendapatkan maklu­mat lanjut daripada pegawai yang bertugas, iaitu dengan menghubungi Andrian Luang di talian 084-693295 atau 013-8082005.

SUMBER: www.theborneopost.com

1AZAM

Fed govt hands over RM40 mln for 1Azam programme

July 13, 2010, Tuesday

KUCHING: Woman, Family and Community Development Minister Senator Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil yesterday handed over RM40 million to the state government for the implementation of the 1Azam programme.

Thank You: Taib (third left) holding the mock cheque while looking at the real cheque presented by Shahrizat (second left) as (from left) Asfia, Dr Chan, Masing and Fatimah look on.

Shahrizat, who handed over the allocation to Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, explained that the allocation would benefit 23,313 poor households. The head of these households had monthly income of less than RM830, while some of them were listed under ‘eKasih’ as they were earning less than RM520 per month.

In Peninsula Malaysia, if the head of the household earned RM750 and below, they would be categorised as ‘poor’. If their income is RM440 or less, they would be categorised as ‘hardcore poor’.

Shahrizat said as at July 9, 2010 there were 14,416 ‘poor’ households and 9,897 ‘hardcore poor’ in Sarawak.

She added that the RM40 million allocation would be used to fund the 1Azam programme, which comprised ‘Azam Tani’ (agriculture), ‘Azam Niaga’ (business ), ‘Azam Khidmat’ (service providers) and ‘Azam Kerja’ (employment).

“The 1Azam programme is an opportunity to boost the income of the poor and hardcore poor to help them escape from the clutches of poverty.

“It is basically a hand-holding programme where the head of the households will work closely with various departments, agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs),” she said.

She hoped that by early 2011 the implementation of 1Azam would be able to help the state government eradicate poverty in Sarawak.

Present to witness the handing-over of the cheque were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan, Land Development Minister Dato Sri Dr James Masing, Social Development and Urbanisation Minister Dato Sri William Mawan, Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datin Fatimah Abdullah and State Legislative Assembly Speaker Dato Sri Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar.

SUMBER: http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=47568