Extra MAS flights for coming CNY exodus welcomed

SIBU: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) will be mounting 14 extra flights for the KL/Sibu route and vice-versa, starting next week to ease the heavy bookings for Lunar New Year season.

According to the managing director of Equitorial Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd Robert Tan, this was a piece of good news for people returning to Sibu for the Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration.

“The load is very heavy in the run up to the Chinese community’s most important celebration. And MAS mounting additional flights will certainly do wonders to ease the heavy bookings and ensure that people reach home in time to spend the celebration with their families,” Tan told The Borneo Post when asked on air ticket bookings for the coming CNY.

However, he lamented that with the increased load triggered by the surging demand, the airfares are coming with a higher price tag.

“Starting next week, the fare for KL/Sibu (one-way) will cost about RM500 and the load is extremely high between Jan 19 and 21. The fare is priced as high as RM700 one-way during the peak period,” said Tan, who has 39 years of experience as a travel agent.

He pointed out that even the airfare for the low cost carrier costs about RM400 one-way.

He figured that the void left by FireFly (FF), which stopped flying the route on Dec 4 last year, was gradually being monopolised by AirAsia.

The drawback, said Tan, is that MAS has only one flight to KL, which is in the morning for now.

He recalled that initially when MAS resumed its service in December last year, they mounted two flights daily.

“But they have since reduced to a flight daily, and this may cause hassle to international bound travellers, who are on connecting flights,” he moaned.

Continue reading at: Extra MAS flights for coming CNY exodus welcomed

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Pandaw Cruise operator persuaded to continue operation

SIBU: Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh yesterday said the Pandaw Cruise operator would be persuaded to continue operating along the Rajang River.

“I hope it is not their final decision. We will find time to persuade them to see whether or not they will carry on (the operations),” Wong, who is also Minister of Local Government and Community Development, told The Borneo Post.

The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC)’s Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism Standing Committee was disturbed by the decision by Irrawaddy Flotilla Company to cease Malaysia’s first river cruise.

Its chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai reportedly said during SMC’s full council meeting last week that they would bring the matter to Wong’s attention.

He said that during the past two years of its operation, the river cruise had lured tourists to Sibu and boosted its tourism industry.

Wong, when asked later if the cessation of the river cruise would affect the tourism industry in Sibu, said: “Yes, to a certain extent.”

Meanwhile, Irrawaddy Flotilla Company stated in the Pandaw newsletter dated Nov 24 last year that it would stop the river cruise on the 640km Rajang River.

The newsletter cited operational and logistical difficulties as reasons for the cessation.

It was reported in several newspapers that it would sail up Malaysia’s longest river for the last time in March, and that its swan song voyage was already almost fully booked.

Meanwhile, when contacted earlier, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) said it had been notified, but could not do much.

“It’s a commercial venture. The Pandaw cruise is subject to market forces,” STB director of Corporate Communication Angelina Bateman reportedly said.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Pandaw Cruise operator persuaded to continue operation

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Waiting anxiously for Singapore-Sibu direct flights

SIBU: The recent announcement on the proposed Sibu/Singapore direct flight augurs well for local travel agents who are also calling for cheaper landing facilities to attract more low-cost carriers.

Managing director of Equitorial Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd Robert Tan for one said the much awaited route would do wonders for the tourism industry here as more Singaporeans would be motivated to come to Sibu.

“The announcement is certainly timely for Sibu people who have been waiting for the route for as long as I can remember.

“Among other merits, the Sibu/Singapore route would also benefit the Sibu/Johor Baharu sector. This will certainly excite the tourism market here,” Tan told The Borneo Post when asked to respond to Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri’s comment that the much awaited Sibu/Singapore direct flight may become a reality soon as Silk Airlines is believed to be eyeing the route.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Abdul Rahim said airlines would come based on the study of demand and being private operators they needed to see if the route was economically viable.

He added that airlines were now more cost-conscious as the cost of fuel had rocketed to US$130 per barrel.

To this, Tan added: “There are so many low cost airlines looking for new routes such as Sibu to expand their network and business. But for this to happen, we need to offer them cheap landing facilities to entice them here.”

Continue reading at: Waiting anxiously for Singapore-Sibu direct flights

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Sibu-Singapore route a possibility

SIBU: The much-awaited Sibu/Singapore direct flight may become a reality soon as Silk Airlines is believed to be eyeing the route, said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim yesterday.

“There is a possibility of Sibu/Singapore flight, not only by our airlines but I believe Silk Airlines is also eyeing it. But then again, this is very much dependent on demand.

“Airlines will come based on demand and being private operators they need to see if the route is economically viable,” Abdul Rahim told a press conference.

He added that airlines were now more cost-conscious as the price of fuel had rocketed to US$130 per barrel.

“As far as the national carrier is concerned, I think our commitment is always there. You can be sure there will be more airlines from the region in time to come,” he said.

On a related matter, he revealed that MAS was gradually taking over FireFly (FF) routes.

“Some of the routes are handled by FF but due to certain decisions recently, it is not continuing jet operations and has concentrated on its original core business that is propeller aircraft operations within the Peninsula and neighbouring Indonesia pending outcome of discussion and mapping out of strategies,” he noted.

He said that under the new collaborative framework between MAS and AirAsia (although no details are available yet as a high level discussion is on-going), rationalisation of FF was already taking place.

He noted that a series of jet operations conducted by FF would be withdrawn and most of the aircrafts would be returned to MAS.

“But people need not worry as the air connectivity and services will not in anyway be affected,” assured Abdul Rahim.

He also said as far as air connectivity within East Malaysia was concerned, there was no cause for alarm as MASwings was flying the routes.

Continue reading at: Sibu-Singapore route a possibility
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Sibu Airport upgrade ahead of schedule

SIBU: The RM136.888 million upgrading and redevelopment of Sibu Airport is ahead of schedule, and expected to be completed by Sept 12, 2012, said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim yesterday.

According to Abdul Rahim, the progress for package 1 is 58.75 per cent and 44.5 per cent for package 2.

“Package 1 is ahead of time by 2.25 per cent while package 2 by 2 per cent. The overall achievement is 53.29 per cent against the scheduled time of 51.14 per cent.

“So, we are ahead of time by 2.15 per cent and upon completion, the capacity of the terminal will increase to about two million. The traffic handled by this airport is about one million passengers,” he told a press conference at the airport.

He revealed that upgrading work comprised extension of the terminal to the east and west wings that will increase the space to about 50,000 sq metres.

There will be parking bays and four aero bridges as well as three open bays.

He disclosed that there would also be extension to the apron to accommodate more aircrafts.

“The redevelopment of Sibu Airport will certainly bring lots of benefits to the town and surrounding areas. Sibu is the gateway to the central region.

“This will bring more comfort and convenience to air passengers as it is more spacious, and add value to the airport. On top of that, it will bring revenue to Malaysia Airport Bhd,” Abdul Rahim said.

He noted that the growth of air passengers each year is in the region of two to three per cent, with the open sky policy of Asean to be implemented in 2015 bringing economic impact in travel and tourism industries.

He added that this was already taking shape, visible with more chartered flights from neighbouring countries, especially China.

Continue reading at: Sibu Airport upgrade ahead of schedule
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Sabah And Sarawak Will Have Domestic Flights

SIBU -- Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri said the people of Sabah and Sarawak had no cause to worry as they would still have domestic flight services despite Firefly's termination, at the beginning of this month.

He said MasWing, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airline System (MAS) would take over the service.

"The government will not allow the people to face unnecessary inconvenience and there will be no reduction in the frequency of flights.

I believe MAS will eventually take over from Firefly," he said during a press conference after a briefing on the progress of the Sibu Airport redevelopment project.

He said MAS and AirAsia were still in the midst of a high level discussion to come up with a comprehensive framework in order to solve the matter.

"MAS has to do a study as to whether there will be significant demand for flights between the two states and to Kuala Lumpur. It will rise to the occasion as MAS is there for business," he said.

Rahim said FireFly Flight Sdn Bhd discontinued its services due to escalating operation costs.

Meanwhile, commenting on the Sibu Airport redevelopment work costing RM136.888 million, he said it was ahead of schedule to meet the September 12, 2012 completion date.

Continue reading at: Sabah And Sarawak Will Have Domestic Flights
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Borneo Cultural Festival is vital to tourism industry

SIBU: Chairman of the Sarawak Central Region Hotel Association has claimed that the riverine town has been sidelined in terms of tourism promotion, causing tourists to shy away.

Johnny Wong Sie Lee alleged that the town’s signature event Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) had been left out from next year’s tourism calendar.

“I learned that this major event has not been listed in the calendar of tourism for 2012. This is most unfair as BCF will be making a comeback next year and has been a crowd puller all this while. BCF is an important platform to showcase what Sibu has to offer to the world.

“And if it is not even listed in the calendar, how would tourists be able to know that the event is on next year. They too need to make preparations to come here and this cannot be done overnight.”

He could not figure out why BCF had been omitted whereas other tourism events seemed to have been included. Wong bemoaned that while Sibu might have limited places of interest, this should not be used as a basis to leave the town out of tourism activities.

He lamented that only a handful of tourists visited Sibu and promoting BCF was one way to reverse the trend.

Continue reading at: Borneo Cultural Festival is vital to tourism industry

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Borneo Cultural Festival To Make Comeback In July, 2012

SIBU -- The Borneo Cultural Festival, an annual event of the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) to promote the town's tourism industry, will make a comeback from July 6 to 15 next year.

This was announced by council chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King at its monthly meeting, here, Friday.

The popular annual event was scrapped this year after the dismal performance by the town's Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in the three seats here in the April 16 state polls.

BN through the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) lost the Pelawan, Bukit Assek and Dudong seats to the opposition and earlier on, the Sibu parliamentary seat in a by-election on May 16, 2010.

When the festival was scrapped, there was a public outcry and even the opposition DAP volunteered to organise it on behalf of SMC.

The council which had been organising it for the past nine years, had said it had to come to that decision as some people failed to appreciate the services of the town's BN representatives, but later said it had insufficient time to organise it.

Tiong in his speech hoped organisations representing the Chinese, Malay-Melanau and Dayak/Orang Ulu communities would be more committed in organising the festival to take it to greater heights.

He disclosed that the SMC would also host another popular event, the Borneo Talent Award, in November next year.

Continue reading at: Borneo Cultural Festival To Make Comeback In July, 2012

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Cancellation of Firefly operations hampers development of Sarawak tourism industry

SIBU: The cancellation of Firefly operations between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak and Sabah would severely hamper the development of the state tourism industry.

PKR Lanang division chairman George Chen said the government should, in fact, encourage more foreign airlines to operate these routes to attract foreign investments and ensure that the local produce could be exported promptly.

“However, instead of bringing in more airlines, what we have here is the cancellation of the Firefly operation,” he told a press conference here yesterday afternoon.

The proposed merger of AirAsia and MAS and the swapping of shares among the directors recently have sent shockwaves across the aviation industry with many speculating the eventual cancellation of the Firefly services in the Sarawak and Sabah routes.

“We suspect there are some other agendas behind the merger of the AirAsia and MAS,” Chen said.

If it was for political reasons, Chen said, it would defeat the 1Malaysia slogan of ‘People’s First, Performance Now’.

Chen urged the governments of Sarawak and Sabah to take immediate steps to get Firefly to resume their flights in the two states.

Continue reading at: Cancellation of Firefly operations hampers development of Sarawak tourism industry

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Sibu needs to develop eco-tourism to attract tourists

SIBU: Tour operators here have been urged to design exciting inbound tour packages in order to tap into the vast eco-tourism potential of Sibu and its hinterlands.

Sibu divisional tourism task group (STTG) chairman Sim Kok Kee said this would provide the niche factor to entice tourists, making up for its lack of places of interest.

“Thus far, there is only one tour operator who is actively providing inbound tour packages. We hope other operators will jump onto the band wagon to creatively come up with inbound tour packages,” Sim told The Borneo Post.

He believes that eco-tourism will appeal to a particular segment of tourists who have no qualms about spending money just to experience the attractions.

At a ‘Majlis Ramah Tamah Aidilfitri’ held here last Monday, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said eco-tourism was poised to become the most important economic sector for the state to generate wealth.

Taib said this was because it would open up the interiors such as Belaga and Ulu Baram to the outside world, and showcase the state’s rich natural heritage and cultures.

Citing bird-watching, Sim, who is also Sibu Resident, said: “There are tourists who would love to spend hours watching a particular species of birds while enjoying the panoramic view of nature.”

To this, he hoped that Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) would help to identify possible sites for the unique activity, adding that he had heard positive comments from some animal lovers that they sighted rare species of birds at Bukit Lima Nature Park.

Echoing Sim’s view, Sarawak Central Region Hoteliers Association chairman Johnny Wong Sie Lee recalled that some years ago a group of Japanese scholars visited Kanowit just to view the mystical pitcher plants there.

Wong, who used to operate inbound tours, believes that it is vital that Sibu come up with eco-tourism products to attract tourists.

Continue reading at: Sibu needs to develop eco-tourism to attract tourists

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Up to 50% off Pandaw Borneo River Cruises

Borneo, the third largest island in the world after Greenland and Australia, has one of the most diverse eco systems on the planet, its primary rain forest home to a vast number of species of flora and fauna.

Now part of Eastern Malaysia, Sarawak was ruled for exactly one hundred years by the Brooke family, known as the Raja Brookes, and only joined the British Empire after the war, gaining independence in 1966.

The Rajang River, at 640km is the longest river in Malaysia, flows across Borneo from Sarawak into Indonesian Kalimantan. Though well know to many from Redmon O’Hanlon’s classic Into the Heart of Borneo, there is very little tourism here due to the river’s remoteness and lack of facilities. The scenery is magnificent – a total jungle experience with the rainforest tumbling into the fast flowing river.

The Rajang is navigable on a ship of Pandaw’s size for at least 250km until the Pelagus Rapids, and further on its main tributary the Baleh River. The river is peopled with the Iban, headhunters till the 1950s, whose unique long house culture survives well to this day, blending well animist tradition with modernity.

There is much to do and see upriver, whether just gazing at the amazing scenery or visiting long houses traditional and modern. In these river towns we can explore the architectural vestiges of the Brooke Raj. Jungle treks, for all levels, are a must as are long boat trips to the Pelagus rapids.

Downriver, the prosperous Chinese city of Sibu with its old shop houses, markets and friendly inhabitants, is a calm reflection of an old China that probably no longer exists in mainland China. Sibu with its rich surrounding farmlands and tropical climate is an important agricultural area.

Continue reading at: Up to 50% off Pandaw Borneo River Cruises
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Firefly may make Sibu its hub to capture East Malaysian market

SIBU: Firefly, which is aiming for a bigger share of the East Malaysian market, has plans to make Sibu its hub for the central region.

“Never say never. It is a question of time. If you look at hubs in Malaysia, it is the result of everybody working together. For example, in Penang, KL, KK and Subang, all industry players come together and not just the airline.

“Even businesses and those related to tourism industry, education and hospitality sectors come together. Only then, it can happen,” Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong told The Borneo Post in an exclusive interview after the ‘Firefly celebrates its B737-800 inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu’ function here yesterday.

Leong said while they recognised such a need, more work had to be done for the plan to materialise.

“Infrastructure and products wise need to be considered. We have to take one step at time. Hence, for stage one, we will connect Sibu to the main hub/transit point.”

He explained that Firefly connects from KL while Maswings connect from Kuching and KK.

From there, he said they would slowly proceed to the second stage when Sibu matured into a destination for tourism and business.

Earlier, Leong described Sibu as a growth market.

Hence, for the start, they would roll out two flights daily to serve the local populace. He is optimistic that Firefly could help excite the local market given its low fare.

Continue reading at: Firefly may make Sibu its hub to capture East Malaysian market

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Romancing Rajang River to bring in tourist dollar

SIBU: The mighty Rajang River has vast eco-tourism potential to take Sibu places.

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) CEO Datuk Rashid Khan said tourism players need not have to make huge investment to get the ball rolling.

“The central region of Sarawak, with its natural rivers, the mighty Rajang River and diverse cultures are a trove of adventure waiting to be explored,” he enthused.

This, he pointed out, was in addition to the popular Pandaw Cruise.

“They (tourism players) just need to be creative and innovative in coming up with a package to entice tourists to come to experience the adventure and excitements of what Rajang River has to offer,” Rashid told The Borneo Post after the ‘Firefly celebrates its B737-800 inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu’ function here yesterday.

Citing the public tram service in San Francisco, he said this was an attraction to outsiders.

Similarly, the tourism players here can make use of the existing boats’ service to bring tourists down river to other places of interest, he suggested.

And from there, they could tie up with locals to connect the tourists to visit other places to experience a different adventure.

“They just need to find out the schedule and work out a package and promote them to visitors. There is no need to invest in the boat for example. Just utilise whatever resources that they have.”

Continue reading at: Romancing Rajang River to bring in tourist dollar

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A Johor Bahru-Sibu route may materialise soon

SIBU: Firefly is toying with the idea of serving the Johor Bahru (JB)-Sibu route to excite the market here after making its inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu yesterday.

“Yes, we are definitely thinking about this … the JB-Sibu route may materialise quite soon. The fact that we already have an aircraft based in JB certainly makes the task easier.

“The thing is you just need to fly to Sibu and back again. And you can get very good timing,” its managing director Datuk Eddy Leong told The Borneo Post in an exclusive interview after the ‘Firefly celebrates its B737-800 inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu’ function here yesterday.

He, however, was quick to point out that they had not made any decision yet as they needed more aircrafts to better service this sector.

Leong said this when asked if Firefly would serve the Sibu-JB sector following requests from local travel agents for more of such flights.

He also did not discount the possibility of the airline serving the much-awaited Sibu-Singapore route in the near future.

Meanwhile, according to a long time travel agent, managing director of Equitorial Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd Robert Tan, currently the Sibu-JB route is served by another low-cost carrier.

“But the time is rather inconvenient since it is an evening flight and it is rather late when passengers land in JB. Besides, the single flight is only available on alternate days.

“Perhaps, Firefly can fly Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays using the noon flight so as to enable travellers to cross over to Singapore,” Tan said, singing praises of Firefly’s initiative to fly the KL-Sibu route, saying it brought convenience and better connectivity for Sibu folk.

The agent said if the Sibu-JB route materialise, this would make it economically viable for travellers heading to JB and Singapore.

Leong said it would not be beneficial to fly Sibu-JB at midnight, adding “flights have to be either in the midmorning or midday.”

On the possible Sibu-Singapore sector, he disclosed that they had such plans in the pipeline but such a move required thorough planning.

“We definitely have such plans but the issue is when do we do it? Right now, we do not have any aircraft based in either Sibu or Singapore.”

Continue reading at: A Johor Bahru-Sibu route may materialise soon
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Firefly to take over KL-Sibu route from MAS

Firefly will gradually take over the Kuala Lumpur-Sibu route from MAS from July 1.

The airline will continue to offer the same twice-daily flight services as MAS, which will withdraw from the route effective Aug 1.

“We have an agreement with our code share partner, Malaysia Airlines, that we will operate this route using our B737-800 aircraft and will continue to provide connectivity to other MAS' routes and services,” said Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong in a statement yesterday.

Leong said they were fully aware of the concerns of travellers and travel agents from Sibu on the inavailability of passenger and baggage through-check for those with onward journey on MAS and vice versa.

“On Sept 1, our departure control system upgrade, which will allow passengers to through-check their baggage on multiple flights to their final destination, will be operational.”

Until then, he said, passengers on the Kuala Lumpur-Sibu flight would have to bear the inconvenience of checking out and re-checking-in.

Continue reading at: Firefly to take over KL-Sibu route from MAS
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MAS confirms it will stop KL-Sibu flights

KUCHING: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has confirmed that it will stop its flights for the Sibu-Kuala Lumpur route.

MAS managing director and chief executive officer Tengku Datuk Seri Azmil Zahruddin Raja Abdul Aziz told the media this at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget on Tuesday.

“Basically Firefly will start coming in twice a day and MAS will basically transfer the service to Firefly,” he said.

As for other routes in the state and in Sabah, he said these were still under review.

“We will review our routes. We look at it as a group. You know some will be only one airline, some like Kuching and KK (Kota Kinabalu) we will have both.

“So over time we’ll see. There will some that both will operate, there will be some that only MAS operates. There will be some that only Firefly operates,” said Azmil.

MAS used to operate the Sibu-Kuala Lumpur route twice daily.

Continue reading at: MAS confirms it will stop KL-Sibu flights
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First 3D film in South East Asia to showcase the beauty of Borneo

SIBU: Shooting of ‘The Hunter’, the much-anticipated first 3D film in South East Asia, begins tomorrow.

Director Bjarne Wong told a press conference yesterday that he would try to finish shooting within 45 days.

“This is the first 3D film in South East Asia because no one else has ever done a shooting using a 3D camera on the set before,” he enthused.

Wong said the RM6 million film, shooting of which would begin in Sibu, would showcase the beauty of Borneo in general.

“I shot in Kuching before but not in Sibu. I am from Sibu and it has been my dream to come back and shoot this town.”

Malaysian actress Carmen Soo and Chinese actor Rocky play the lead roles.

Other members of the cast include Malaysian model Isaac Ong, Malaysian actors Smyth Wong and Sharifah Amani, Miss World Malaysia first runner-up Cindy Chen, Taiwanese Tavani and local actors Aaron Alfar and Lai Jong Hai.

Wong said 90 per cent of the shooting would take place in Borneo and the remainder in Hong Kong.

Among the locations earmarked are Sibu, Kuching, Serian, Bau and Matang.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: First 3D film in South East Asia to showcase the beauty of Borneo
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Sibu's green jewel

By NYL

Sibu, 60 kilometres upriver from the South China Sea, began life in the 1850s as a tiny Melanau encampment, and has grown into Sarawak's third largest city, with a population of over 200,000, and its biggest port.

One of the first things that visitors will notice in Sibu is an abundance of gardens and public parks with a variety of flowering shrubs and shady trees.

Beautiful and well-maintained, they have become popular places for locals and visitors alike to relax and enjoy the surroundings teeming with lush green and serene water features.

The jewel among these is Bukit Aup Jubilee Park, winner of numerous national awards as well as home to the popular annual Bukit Aup Jubilee Run that attracts thousands of participants annually.

Legend has it that the park used to be the dwelling place of an Iban princess called Naga Bari. She was said to be beautiful, kind and caring towards her subjects. Unfortunately, there are scarcely any written records of the princess and she remains a mystery though she is certainly remembered among the Ibans.

Another account of the story states that there were six Iban warriors, who together with Naga Bari protected the community around the area in the early days.

Today, the 22-hectare park is a popular place for leisure activities including picnics, nature walks, exercise and photography.

Set in a cluster of hillocks in an otherwise flat plain, its observation tower provides a panoramic view of Sibu town and the countryside.

Other facilities include a children's playground, a suspension bridge, a garden of meditation, sky steps, a pavilion, an amphitheatre, a large koi pond, a lagoon, a canteen and gazebos.

Bukit Aup is widely recognised all over Borneo for its mystical power for good fortune and health. Hundreds of Iban go to the park every year to seek the blessings of Naga Bari. They believe that the place is sacred and that those who come to seek her divine assistance would be rewarded.

A small pond, named in Naga Bari's honour, midway up the hill is one of the most popular stops for visitors. Legend has it that the pond has never dried up even in times of drought since it was dug, possibly about the time when the first Iban settled in the area.

The spot is where visitors give their offerings to Naga Bari. The pool is believed to help any childless couple wishing to conceive and students who pray for good examination results.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Weekend
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Less sweet tuak for Gawai Dayak this year

SIBU: Tuak, the traditional Iban rice wine, which is a must serve for Gawai celebration, might taste a little different this year due to the increase in the price of one of its main ingredients – sugar.

A homemaker Nancy Mit Jerangku, who has already started making the tuak about two weeks ago, said her tuak tastes less sweet this year because she had to reduce the amount of sugar.

“It tastes less sweet but it’s ok. In previous years, I will use up to 4 kilogrammes of sugar to fill a 15 litre container but this year, I only use 3kg,” she said when tasting the freshly brew rice wine at her rented house in Huo Ping Road here. The main ingredients for making tuak, she said are glutinous rice, yeast and sugar which she learned from her mother and friends.

The 29-year-old will be bringing the tuak back to her longhouse in Nanga Lasi, Julau as she is planning to return home for the Gawak Dayak this year as her husband who is currently working in South Africa will not be back for the festival.

“My husband will miss the Gawai celebration for the second time this year because he will only be returning home at the end of the year,” she said. Husband Jeffery Malang works as a grader driver at a timber camp in South Africa.

Continue reading at: Less sweet tuak for Gawai Dayak this year
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Borneo Cultural Festival to be held every two years

SIBU: The Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) will be held every two years from now on, announced Minister of Environment and Public Health Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh yesterday.

He said SMC would not hold BCF this year as time was taken up by the recent state election.

“It is difficult for SMC to organise BCF in time. Organising it next year will give us ample time between now and July 2012.

“Actually, we want to do better and upgrade BCF by having more attractive cultural events for the people of Sibu as well as domestic and foreign tourists to enjoy,” he said during a press conference in the SMC conference room at Level 24 of Wisma Sanyan.

On April 28, SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King announced scrapping the festival in an apparent fallout following the defeat of members of the Sibu BN Visionary Team in the recent state polls.

Tiong was reported to say that since the majority of the people in Sibu did not appreciate the work of the team, SMC was forced to cancel the BCF. Following that, many quarters requested SMC to reconsider the decision.

The annual festival, showcasing varied and colourful local culture and traditions of the Chinese, Ibans, Orang Ulu, Malay and Melanau, had attracted thousands of visitors from Sarawak and abroad.

Yesterday’s press conference was attended by the United Chinese Association, Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, representatives from Malay, Melanau and Dayak associations as well as various Chinese clan associations. Tiong and his deputy Daniel Ngieng were among those present.

Wong apologised to the people of Sibu and all parties involved for cancelling it this year.

“If the situation permits, we will organise the BCF every year. However, from next year onwards, we will organise it once in two years,” he said.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Borneo Cultural Festival to be held every two years
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