Kapit comes alive with water-themed fiesta

KAPIT: Once again this sleepy town has come alive with the annual crowd-pullers – Baleh-Kapit Raft Safari, Power Boat Races, Kayak 1Malaysia races, and a mini-carnival.

The town has been beaming at its seams the past couple of days with people from nearby longhouses who were eager to witness the potpourri of colourful and exhilarating events which started last Thursday and ends today. Yesterday being a public holiday — official birthday of the Yang Di-Pertua Negeri Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin, also gave the crowd size a shot in the arm.

The raft safari, which took place on the Baleh and Rajang Rivers, was a two-day spectacle over an arduous distance of 60km. It started on Friday with Rumah Ajai in Nanga Senuang, Sungai Majau as the starting point and Rumah Anding in Nanga Sepuna, Mujong, as the ‘transit’ point (a distance of 40km). Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Dr James Masing flagged off the race which ended at Rumah Anding for day one.

Yesterday, Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Billy Abit Joo flagged off the second day of the raft safari at Rumah Anding, which is some 20km from the finishing point at Kapit Wharf.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Datuk James Mamit will officiate at the power boat races today at the Kapit Waterfront, while the Kayak 1Malaysia event is left to Assistant Minister of Tourism and Heritage Datuk Mong Dagang.

The mini carnival, which was centred at the Town Square from last Thursday till today was officiated at by Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi. Among the highlights of the carnival were children singing competition for kids aged 12 years and below, karaoke contest, ‘live band’ presentation, safari beauty pageant, traditional sports, exhibition booths, ‘pua kumbu’ competitions, beadworks, handicrafts and sale of traditionally-baked cakes.

These annual event are jointly organised by Kapit Division Tourism Task Group , Ministry of Tourism and Heritage, Sarawak Tourism Board , Ministry of Tourism, and Malaysian Tourism and Promotion Board.

The raft safari, which was first held in 1996, has always been more than a mere test of endurance and navigational skills.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Kapit comes alive with water-themed fiesta

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Proboscis Monkeys cling to precious habitat in Brunei

Unlike in other parts of Borneo where the Proboscis monkeys
are found in sanctuaries or reserves, the colony of
Proboscis monkeys in Brunei lives relatively close to civilisation

Some groups of Proboscis monkeys live near their human neighbours

Tour operator taking visitors to the monkeys' habitat

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to Mohammad Abdullah and
Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

By Mohammad Abdullah

There are many species of animals found only in Borneo, and one such animal known locally as the "Burak" or "Bekantan" (Proboscis monkey) is one of the best kept secrets in Brunei Darussalam.

I once spied on a colony of Proboscis monkeys during an eco-tour in Sabah in 2002. Little did I know that we, in Brunei Darussalam, have our own colony of rare long-nosed pot-bellied celebrities which are also known as 'Orang Belanda' (Dutchman) due to their long nose and pot belly.

It was only a few years ago that Brunei ventured into eco-tourism and started tours to view these magnificent unique creatures literally in our own backyard.

Unlike in Sabah and other parts of the island of Borneo where the Proboscis monkeys are found in sanctuaries or reserves, the colony in Brunei lives relatively close to civilisation. In fact, some houses built close to the banks of mangrove swamps regularly get visits from the Dutchman. Making these endangered animals an almost permanent fixture in these residential areas, co-existing peacefully with their human neighbours.

These endangered animals are largely restricted to living in coastal areas and along rivers where they live only in lowland habitats such as coastal and riparian habitat, many of which are flooded by tides. It prefers dipterocarp forests, mangrove forests and riverine forests.

This species is rarely found more than a kilometre from water sources. It is perhaps the most aquatic of the primates and is a fairly good swimmer, capable of swimming up to 20m. It is known to swim across rivers.

Proboscis monkeys generally live in groups consisting of an adult male, some adult females and their offspring. Other groups also exist such as all-male groups. There are some individuals that are solitary, most of which are males.

The Proboscis monkey is assessed as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and listed in Appendix I of CITIES. Its total population has decreased by more than 50 per cent in the 36-40 years to 2008 due to ongoing habitat loss and hunting in some areas.

Brunei's Proboscis monkeys are no different. Though they are not hunted, their habitat is endangered due to expanding residential areas and urban development, which threaten the mangrove forests.

Unless we do something to help preserve these animals by creating a reserve or sanctuary, then we are sure to lose one of Brunei's rare treasures.

To view these magnificent creatures, just pop down to the jetty and take one of the many tours that offer a river cruise of the Brunei River where tourists can see the Proboscis monkeys in their habitat.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Weekend
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Proboscis monkey survives by a nose

VISITORS to Borneo come face to face with a monkey that has to be seen to be believed.

The endangered proboscis monkey is very hard to keep in captivity, so most people have never seen one in real life - unless they have been to the island.

The big-nosed monkeys live alongside orang-utans and are facing much the same threats, such as land clearing for palm oil plantations. Tourism can also disrupt the monkeys' natural social behaviour, feeding and breeding.

Dr Heather Leasor, of the Australian National University, studied threats to the proboscis monkey population for her PhD.

"I just find them fascinating, their social interactions with each other, their odd faces, the group dynamics," she said. "They are quite charismatic. Not everybody thinks so. They think they look odd and weird. But I think they're majestic and beautiful too."

She compared her observations of monkeys in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounds with those recorded by other researchers more than a decade earlier, before tourism and palm oil plantations took off.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Proboscis monkey survives by a nose

Recommended Proboscis Monkey Tours in Sabah:

• Klias River Cruise
• Kota Belud Wetlands Usukan Cove
• Kinabatangan Ox-Bow Lake

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More visitors from Manila to Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: An additional flight between Manila and here resulted in an increase in the number of passengers in the first six months of this year as compared to a similar period in 2010.

The thrice weekly connection between the two destinations saw the number of passengers grow from 12,800 between January and June in 2010 to 16,200 passengers during the same period this year, an increase of 27 per cent.

According to Cebu Air Inc. corporate communication specialist Michelle Eve De Guzman, the number of passengers from Manila to Kuala Lumpur (KL) also saw an increase of 31 per cent, from 58,000 in the first six months last year to 76,000 during similar period this year.

“Realising the increase, Cebu Pacific, the largest national flag carrier in the Philippines, decided to increase its direct flights between Manila-KL to 14 flights weekly beginning January 8 next year. This means there will be two flights daily between the routes,” she said.

To date, Cebu Pacific has 10 flights between Manila-KL.

Speaking during a media briefing at the Sabah Tourism Board here yesterday, she added that there was no plan to increase flights or introduce new destinations between Manila and Sabah yet.

“However, eight representatives from top media organisations in the Philippines are currently in Sabah for the Cebu Pacific Backpackers Adventure Challenge. There are four teams, comprising two persons per team, who are going around Sabah to try to do the most activities within five days with a budget of RM1,000. The team with the most activities wins the challenge,” she said.

The participants will then write on the experience here and that it will be like a ‘blueprint’ for Filipinos who wish to spend their holidays in Sabah.

Continue reading at: More visitors from Manila to Sabah
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Kapit needs more dynamic tourism products

KAPIT: Kapit needs more dynamic tourism products to attract more visitors to the town.

Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Billy Abit Joo said Kapit’s tourism industry is still in its infancy and tourists do not know where to go when they visit Kapit.

Promoting Kapit’s rich natural and cultural attractions alone, he said, did not suffice.

“Come up with tourism branded products like T-shirts, souvenirs, beadwork, handicrafts, places of attraction, etc. Small items for tourists to buy for remembrance.

“In places where tourism is well-developed and successfully run, there’s always tourism products as their trademark. Also the marketing must be strategic and packaging like websites, online information centre, availability of tour guides and services, places of interest, facilities,” he said during the soft launching of the four-day Kapit Mini Carnival yesterday.

It is being held in conjunction with the two-day Baleh-Kapit Raft Safari, which begins today.

“Baleh-Kapit Raft Safari is a very important event. It’s on the Kapit calendar to promote Kapit as a premier eco-tourism destination.

Continue reading at: Kapit needs more dynamic tourism products
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the Philippines will host Asean ZoPFF-C meeting over Spratlys disputes

Bridging UNCLOS and ZoPFFC

September 22, 2011:

The Philippines will be hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Maritime Legal Experts’ Meeting this week to discuss Manila’s proposal for a Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship and Cooperation (ZoPFF/C) in the settlement of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute.

Maritime legal experts from the 10 Asean member-states –

1.      The Philippines

2.      Brunei Darussalam

3.      Malaysia

4.      Indonesia

5.      Singapore

6.      Vietnam

7.      Cambodia

8.      Laos 

9.      Thailand

10. Myanmar–

The meeting will converge in Manila this 3^rd week of September 2011.

The meeting was based on the decision of the Asean foreign ministers during the 44th Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bali, Indonesia “to study the proposal with the assistance of maritime legal experts.”

“The meeting seeks to establish a common understanding among Asean member-states on the ZoPFF/C proposal,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

Its findings will be reported to the Asean Senior Officials' Meeting (Asean SOM), which will then make recommendations for the Asean Foreign Ministers to consider before the 19th Asean Summit in November 2011 in Bali, Indonesia.

The said meeting will be held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City (Metro Manila).

Under the Philippine-proposed ZoPFF/C, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said that disputed areas of the Spratly Islands must be segregated from the undisputed areas as consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In this framework, disputed areas can be transformed into an area of joint cooperation while undisputed areas will solely be under the jurisdiction of a particular claimant-country.

Spratly Islands is a group of islets, reefs and atolls that are purportedly rich in oil and mineral reserves.

They are being claimed in whole by China and in part by the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.

The past months saw the flaring of political tensions between Beijing, Manila and Hanoi over alleged increasing Chinese military activities in the contested waters.

As the Philippine government lodged diplomatic protests over the perceived Chinese intrusions, Beijing was quick to deny the allegations.

Del Rosario said that the issue be settled under maritime international laws, and even suggested it to be brought before the United Nations-backed International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas (ITLOS).

The Asian economic powerhouse, however, remained adamant that it will only negotiate with claimant-countries in a bilateral level.

Sarawak and Kalimantan urged to work together on adventure tourism

KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu has suggested that Sarawak and Kalimantan collaborate in developing adventure tourism in the region.

He said the two states in Borneo had the potential to be among the most attractive destinations for adventure tourists from around the world.

Adventure tourism in Sarawak and Kalimantan could be divided into urban settings and interior rides or walks.

“The experience can be enriched if the tourists interact with local people. There are many ethnic groups in the interior of Sarawak and Kalimantan and their cultures are attractive components of adventure tourism,” he said at the launch of the Screensaver Photography: Kalimantan, Sarawak, Europe exhibition here on Tuesday night.

Jabu said the exchange of cultural troupes and expeditions between Sarawak and Kalimantan should be enhanced.

He said he had always enjoyed his participation in the exchange of cultural troupes between the two states over the years.

Travel through the interior of Sarawak and Kalimantan was an unforgettable experience of culture and nature, he added.

Continue reading at: Sarawak and Kalimantan urged to work together on adventure tourism

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