Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa conserving dugongs at Tun Mustapha Park

KOTA KINABALU: Shangri-la's Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa is working to conserve dugongs and their habitat through cooperation with the communities of the proposed Tun Mustapha Park in northern Sabah.

The initial cooperation is between the resort and the community at Berungus, Pitas. The cooperation was recognized this week at the Second Coral Triangle Initiative Regional Business Forum in Kuala Lumpur.

The cooperation supports fisheries management and dugong habitat conservation by the Berungus community residing within the boundaries of the proposed Tun Mustapha Park.

The proposed park area is home to Malaysia’s second largest concentration of coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds and endangered marine species, including turtles and dugongs.

Tun Mustapha Park is a key component of Malaysia’s action plan for the Coral Triangle Initiative.

Part of the resort’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative includes a dugong protection programme which supports the protection of dugongs and their habitat, and the implementation of sustainable fishing practices.

Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa has also adopted the dugong as its official mascot.

Continue reading at: Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa conserving dugongs at Tun Mustapha Park

.
.

Borneo jungle expedition unforgettable

Confrontations with tarantulas, leeches and gun-wielding tribesmen was the lifestyle for Picton lad Cameron Robertson during a three-week jungle expedition in Borneo.



The 17-year-old set off on a search for self-confidence and motivation in South East Asia last month.



He joined Operation Raleigh and was the only person from a country south of Malaysia on the expedition. The 77 other venturers came from Iceland, the United States and countries in Europe and Asia.



Operation Raleigh is a British-based youth development charity designed to help youth explore the world and discover their potential as leaders while working together to make a difference for poorer villages.



Cameron, who left Queen Charlotte College in November last year, aspires to be a helicopter pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, but first he wanted an adventure.



At first he was hesitant, but on reflection it was the "best thing I could have ever done".



"For me I need to feel comfortable when I choose to pursue something, but for once I just jumped straight into Operation Raleigh, and man, I don't regret it at all."



The troops were split up into groups of 10 to 14 and deployed in remote locations across Borneo.



His group were responsible for building a kindergarten in the Sonsogon Magandai village in the Pitas district, near Sabah.



"It was amazing. It was hard work in tough conditions, but seeing the end result was so worth the effort."



Cameron recalls coming face-to-face with what he thought was a head-hunter on his way back to base camp – an experience he will never forget.



"One of our group members said, `hey let's go back the river way, follow it round back to base', so yeah, we didn't think anything of it and away we went.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Borneo jungle expedition unforgettable

.

.

Tombonuo dance enters Malaysia Book of Records

PITAS: For the first time in the history of the Tombonuo people here, they made it to the national level in their cultural activity by getting the Sumanggak dance into the Malaysia Book of Records.

The president of the Sabah Pitas Tombonuo People Association (PBTPS), Akian Ahkiew, said that this is a significant achievement for the Tombonuos who have all this while been excluded in major cultural events.

“It was a proud moment last month when the association’s dance group made it into the Malaysia Book of Records,” he said.

“Now we can look forward to more cultural activities and get our cultural heritage become an important part of Sabah’s and Malaysia’s cultural mosaic.”

He regretted that even at the state level, the Tombonuo dance has not been fully recognised unlike the dance of other ethnic groups.

“This is not entirely the fault of cultural organisers,” Akian admitted.

“It is also due to insufficient initiatives of the Tombonuo people themselves. But now, under the association’s new leadership, we are more aggressive in promoting the Tombonuo identity at the state and national level.”

The sumanggak dance was part of the marathon dance performance organised by the Malaysia Book of Records in Kota Marudu on May 21, 2011.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Tombonuo dance enters Malaysia Book of Records
.

.

Call to gazette Tun Mustapha marine park

KOTA KINABALU: A proposed one million hectare marine park in northern Sabah should be gazetted as soon as possible to pave the way for its protection and conservation.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said recent studies have shown that the Tun Mustapha Marine Park was ecologically more diverse than Australia’s famed Great Barrier Reef or the Carribean.

“It has been seven years since the intention to set up the park was announced.

“Any further delay will lead to the sensitive areas being further degraded,” he said, adding that gazetting the marine park would ensure sustainable development of the marine resources there.

The proposed marine park covers the coastal areas of Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas districts including 50 islands. It has also been identified by experts as a Priority Conservation Area.

When gazetted, the Tun Mustapha Marine Park would become the largest marine conservation area in Malaysia. An estimated 80,000 people live within its vicinity and depend on fishery resources for their livelihood.

The marine park encompasses Marudu Bay and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) researchers recently completed a study to find ways to sustainably develop the area.

Continue reading at: Call to gazette Tun Mustapha marine park
.
.