Archive for category Sabah
Through my aging eyes – Our Children face a tough future
Posted by Kit in Edwin Bosi, Sabah on Monday, 15 August 2011
By Edwin Bosi
On 1st May this year the Tamanza clan celebrated the “refurbishment” of our forefather’s shelter at the Tuavon Katagazan cemetery. Years ago their graveyards were dug their bones brushed clean and relocated to Katagazan with full traditional rituals. There was no official or designated graveyard then so the dead were buried in the private plot of land. My grandfather Kandavu Tamanza was laid to rest in a 5-acre land in Kg Kibabaig Penampang. My grandmother Lokuja Buko was buried in another piece of land nearby while our great grandfather Tamanza was buried in Kosigui. The relocation involved all three graves. For the Kadazan, relocation of remains involves the high priestesses or Bobohizans and is steep with ancient rituals.
I remember the high priestess and her assistant going though the process of opening a communicating channel between the living and the death. A white cockerel was sacrificed. It was here that I saw the arts of negotiation been applied to the utmost. It appeared that the “bobohizans” were in a trance as they “talked” with the spirits of those who had long departed. My late dad vouched that the voices of his father were actually recognisable through and from the “murmurs” of the main Bobohizan. The deal was sealed fairly quickly with one condition for a sacrificial pig and no substitute. The priestess conceded that our grandfather and his mother were very understanding unlike some of the cases she had dealt with before.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tambatuon dam: A question of need
By Dr Edwin Bosi
Suddenly Malaysia is concerned about food security. In Sabah, food security is been used to justify for the construction of a controversial multi-million ringgit Tambatuon dam in the district of Kota Belud. But Malaysia’s quest for 100% self sufficient in rice appears to be bleaker by the day. Under the 5th Malaysia Plan (1986-90), there was plan to achieve 80-85% self sufficient involving eight areas covering 220,000 hectares of land. The plan then was to achieve 70% to 90% by 2010 for West Malaysia, from 30% to 70% in Sabah and from 50% to 70% in Sarawak by 2010. We are now in 2011 and our reliance on imported rice is not getting less. It is much cheaper to import than to grow rice, it seems.
The inflation is biting hard and with the high cost of “everything” nothing will be produce cheaply. The subsidies that benefited the less fortunate are been withdrawn. The peoples’ income remains stagnant and as prices of commodities ran wild many will be drawn into the poor-income bracket soon. The people in poverty will soon fill into the abject poverty bracket. I wish not to say about those in abject poverty and what the future is in store for them. The millions of non-tax paying illegal immigrants are now legalised and will add more burden to the State. It will be a long journey in a dark tunnel for genuine Sabahans whose natural resource-rich State is now the poorest in Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
How democratic elections still failed Sabah
By Erna Mahyuni
July 14, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JULY 14 — “How can you say our elections are unfair when BN lost five states in 2008?” I hear that refrain over and over again to the point I want to scream. And stage my own private rally in front of Putrajaya.
Let me tell you a story, of a 16-year-old girl witnessing the 1994 Sabah state elections. I was that girl. Imagine turning on the television to watch a video showing derelict shacks, illegal immigrants (who Sabah natives recognise on sight) living in squalor while in the background a refrain plays, calling on viewers to “Binalah Sabah baru (Build a new Sabah)!”
Nearly two decades later and I still want to punch whoever made that video in the mouth. Read the rest of this entry »
Kit Siang accepts challenge by Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman to a public debate in Kota Belud on the proposed Tambatuon Dam and suggests September date
The Sabah Daily Express on Wednesday 6th July 2011 carried a report of the Barisan Nasional Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan challenging me to an open debate regarding the proposed Tambatuon Dam.
The Daily Express report reads:
“Let’s debate: Rahman
“Kota Kinabalu: Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan on Tuesday challenged DAP Advisor Lim Kit Siang to an open debate regarding the proposed Tambatuon Dam.
“Expressing disappointment with the Ipoh Timur MP, he said the latter has been continuously instigating the people of Kg Tambatuon with misleading facts about the issue. Read the rest of this entry »
Let’s debate: Rahman
Posted by Kit in environment, Sabah on Thursday, 7 July 2011
Daily Express | 6 July 2011
Kota Kinabalu: Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan on Tuesday challenged DAP Advisor Lim Kit Siang to an open debate regarding the proposed Tambatuon Dam.
Expressing disappointment with the Ipoh Timur MP, he said the latter has been continuously instigating the people of Kg Tambatuon with misleading facts about the issue.
“His intention is very clear which is to score political gains at the expense of national interest (food security), long term benefit to the thousands of poor farmers and solution to the drinking water supply and flood mitigation of the people of Kota Belud,” he said in a statement.
Read the rest of this entry »
LKS backs Sabah Speaker on education autonomy
Jul 3, 11 | MalaysiaKini
DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang voiced support for Sabah Speaker Salleh Said’s call for the state education department to be given more power and autonomy.
Salleh had said reportedly said that many school buildings in Sabah are in a state of disrepair and educational projects are carried out only haphazardly due to the need to refer even simple matters to the education ministry headquarters in Putrajaya.
This, said the speaker, was jeopardising the government’s efforts in developing education in Sabah. Read the rest of this entry »
Muhyiddin should fully devolve Education Ministry powers to Sabah State Department
The Sabah Speaker, Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said has called for the Sabah State Education Department to be given more power and autonomy.
Salleh said many school buildings in the State are in need of repair and educational projects are not carried out systematically due to having to refer simple matters to Putrajaya jeopardising the Government’s efforts in developing education in Sabah.
The Sabah State Assembly Speaker has received the support of the Sabah State Education Director Datuk Dr. Muhiddin Yusin who has joined in the call for the state education department to be given greater empowerment on decision-making and the implementation of development projects, especially maintenance, training and recruitment of teachers. Read the rest of this entry »
Tambatuon folk fear Bakun fate
Posted by Kit in environment, Sabah on Saturday, 25 June 2011
By Michael Kaung
June 24, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today
PENAMPANG: The villagers of Tambatuon are anxious to avoid the heartbreak that the people of Bakun suffer, according to testimony before Suhakam commissioners who are conducting a study on Native Customary Land Rights (NCR) issues.
Jahim Singkui, who heads the Tambatuon Villagers’ Action Committee, told the commissioners today that the government had ignored pleas against its plan to build a RM450 million dam in the village, which is in the Kota Belud district.
The project would submerge ancestral lands, he said. Read the rest of this entry »
Through my aging eyes: We are at the mercy of Nature
Posted by Kit in environment, Sabah on Thursday, 23 June 2011
By Edwin Bosi
When I visited Tambatuon village in Kadamaian Kota Belud in April 2011 with YB Jimmy Wong and DAP Sabah political leaders it was actually partly a fact-finding mission. We heard so much of Tambatuon through the news media, their fight for survival against a proposed dam that will in the word of Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, BN Member of Parliament for Kota Belud, obliterate them from the map of Sabah. Our casual visit, meeting and walking around the village gave us a feeling that the villagers were genuinely not in favor of the dam at all cost. It is not only showing in their faces but also their environment. They have built a beautiful yet simple and decent life in Tambatuon which they call home.
Sdr Lim Kit Siang took time on 28 May 2011 to visit and meet up with the ex-village chief Singkui Tinggi and other community leaders. He too was convinced of the peoples’ stance against the dam. When the plea of the villagers touched the very heart of Sdr Kit Siang, it does not take long for him to commence the battle for and to save Tambatuon, via the Twitter world. Sadly on that night, Kit Siang soon found out that there is no internet coverage in Tambatuon so the “Twitter war” has to be conducted in Kota Kinabalu.
Read the rest of this entry »
‘Tambatuon dam is unnecessary’
Posted by Kit in environment, Sabah on Tuesday, 14 June 2011
By Stephanie Sta Maria | June 14, 2011
Free Malaysia Today
PETALING JAYA: An academic from the Faculty of Agriculture in Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM) cast doubt on the necessity for the proposed Tambatuon dam in Kota Belud.
According to Christopher Teh, the dam is not the sole means to increasing Malaysia’s rice productivity as there was still plenty of room to increase the yields of existing paddy fields.
“Each field has a maximum potential yield of 10 tonnes per hectare but the current national average only stands at 4 tonnes per hectare per year,” he said.
“I’m not against increasing land acreage but between that and increasing the yields, the latter is a better choice. Let’s use what we already have instead of opening up new paddy fields and incurring higher costs.”
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“Yield Considerations” – Iskandar replies to Kota Belud MP Rahman on Tambatuon Dam controversy
Posted by Kit in environment, Sabah on Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Yb Rahman,
I had opined that our existing acerage in Malaysia can be used to fully meet our rice security consideration (i.e to overcome the 35% shortage) provided our Yield (Mt/hectare) can be increased to 5.0. The 5.0 yield factor is backed by research materials that you had referenced in your report.
In your rebuttal to my June 4, 2011 feedback, you have clearly acknowledged this point albeit you put it as “I wish it was that simple. Here is the reason”.
You said the current yield average of 3.3mt per hectare is for the whole country and production yield differs based on location. In summary, you had alluded to point out that production locations in Peninsular Malaysia(PM) are already yielding at 5.0 or higher and has little room for additional yield. The national average, however, drops to 3.3 due to the low yeilds in East Malaysia(EM) and Kota Belud being one. I quote “However, our national paddy production yield average has been dragged down by low yield areas namely in Sabah and Sarawak!”
Read the rest of this entry »
Twitter Power – Tambatuon dam controversy – Why MP Kota Belud never visited kampong? (5)
Posted by Kit in environment, Sabah, Twitter on Friday, 10 June 2011
Twitter sequel Part 5
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
dredwinbosi Jun 07, 12:33am
@mpkotabelud @limkitsiang Food security should not be an issue if we don’t have a surge in pop of legalised illegal immigrants.
dredwinbosi Jun 07, 9:00am
@mpkotabelud @limkitsiang@junzwong Tambatuon is already a natural tourism attraction, no need a man-made lake.
Read the rest of this entry »
RM450m Tambatuon dam controversy – Why MP Kota Belud never visited kampong? (4)
Posted by Kit in environment, Sabah on Sunday, 5 June 2011
Twitter sequel Part 4
Iskandarbak Jun 04, 8:42pm
@mpkotabelud u back from Spore? hoping to get ur response on my feedback to ur post in ur blog re: dam in Kg T
Iskandarbak Jun 04, 8:46pm
@mpkotabelud I just checkd ur blog. U have updated it with d translation. But, i dont see my feedback comments there. I had also emailed u.
mpkotabelud Jun 04, 8:47pm
I got ur reply. On the move now. Tak dak masa utk think. Soon will reply. RT @Iskandarbak:
Read the rest of this entry »
Consideration for the Construction of Dam in Kota Belud
Posted by Kit in environment, Sabah on Saturday, 4 June 2011
By Iskandar Basha Abdul Kadir
4 June 2011
Dear Yb Rahman,
Thank you for writing about the Jelapang Padi Initiative in your blog.
The key objective and the Complimentary/Spin-Off objectives that you have stated in your blog are as follows:
Key Objective
To become self sufficient in rice production for national security. This includes price control and distribution within Malaysia.
Complimentary/Spin-off Objectives
Flood control n mitigation, hydro power, clean water for consumption, tourism, multiplier effects, jobs, etc Read the rest of this entry »
RM450m Tambatuon dam controversy – Why MP Kota Belud never visited kampong? (3)
Posted by Kit in environment, Sabah on Friday, 3 June 2011
Twitter sequel Part 3
Part 1 & Part 2
limkitsiang Jun 02, 6:07pm
YB where is yr blog 2champion RM450m Tambatuon dam? >24 hrs oredi. Cld not even convince yrself after reading it in cold print? @mpkotabelud
mpkotabelud Jun 02, 8:27pm
My rebuttal of @limkitsiang >>> http://mpkotabelud.blogspot.com/2011/06/to-dam-or-to-be-damned-question-to-lim.html
mpkotabelud Jun 02, 8:31pm
Read http://bit.ly/k1akKq RT @limkitsiang: where is yr blog 2champion RM450m Tambatuon dam?
Read the rest of this entry »
A guide to West Malaysians for Sabahans
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, nation building, Sabah on Thursday, 2 June 2011
by Erna Mahyuni
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011
JUNE 1 — Since I have written a guide for West Malaysians about Sarawak, perhaps it is only fair I write about Sabah. But writing “Sabah 101” seemed boring so I flipped it around and now here’s a handy reference for Sabahans dealing with the influx of West Malaysians thanks to AirAsia.
1. Most West Malaysians really don’t remember September 16, 1963, and when asked, will only remember that “Malaysia gained its independence in 1957.” Don’t blame them; blame our badly-written history textbooks. Incidentally, they were written by West Malaysians.
2. West Malaysian Muslims are a lot more uptight than the ones in Sabah. If you take them to a soto stall that is situated outside a Chinese coffee shop, don’t be offended if they refuse to eat in fear of the food not being halal (kosher). If they are Malay and Muslim, make sure the eatery has a halal signboard.
3. Expect them to be very nosy about what race or religion you are. If you happen to look Chinese but greet them with the Muslim salam or you look Malay and are eating pork in front of them, prepare for either looks of shock or ones of taking offence. West Malaysians seem to get offended easily, for some reason. (Proof can be found in the comments of my columns, funnily enough written by people in West Malaysia) Read the rest of this entry »
Through my aging eyes: Kaamatan – A Blend of Politics and Culture
By Dr Edwin Bosi
DAP Sabah State Secretary
Borneo Post
1.6.11
If my recollection is right the planting season used to be from February to May of each year. I remember the meticulous preparation from clearing a plot of land for the nursery to transplanting and harvesting. Each family had a fenced-up plot where every bit of herbage was removed, and using a sharpened pole my mom would plunge it into the ground, making sure the small holes thus created were in a neat roll. Then the best quality padi grains were placed into the tiny holes and buried by racking the soil at the surface. Up on the trees, little “pipit” or brownish sparrows were waiting to salvage whatever grains were found scattered on the plot. The size of the plot depends on the acreage of ones padi field.
The seedlings upon reaching about a foot tall were ready for transplanting onto the field. While the seeds grew the padi land was prepared by ploughing with the assistance of an obedient and trained buffaloes. The bunds were repaired and made strong enough to hold the water. The soil was then broken or harrowed before the seedlings were transplanted. Usually there were few people involved in the planting in unison using a short small sharpened wood to make the holes in the soil and then sticking the seedlings into them. The job was executed by stepping backward to ensure a straight line was achieved. If I can recall the planting distant between two seedlings was about 18 inches. Read the rest of this entry »
Intel report sees strife in BN, Pakatan
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat, Sabah, Sarawak, UMNO on Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Malaysiakini
Jun 1, 11
Specialist publisher Economist Intelligence Unit has warned that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak may face political revolt within Umno and from coalition parties in Sabah and Sarawak, should he fail to secure a clear victory in the next general election.
Divisions among the three Pakatan Rakyat component parties are also likely to widen if PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is jailed for sodomy, the publisher said in the June report for Malaysia.
It predicted that Malaysia’s political stability will come under moderate threat in the next five years due to internal strife within the two main political alliances. Read the rest of this entry »
RM450m Tambatuon dam controversy – Why MP Kota Belud never visited kampong? (2)
This is twitter sequel to “RM450m Tambatuon dam controversy – Why MP Kota Belud never visited kampong?”:
29th May – 1 June 2011
mpkotabelud Abdul Rahman Dahlan
Baru landing di KK. Buka phone, timeline dan DM saya flooded wt tweets abt @limkitsiang’s visit to my beloved Kota Belud. Ish..
29 May
mpkotabelud Abdul Rahman Dahlan
Saya dah bermesyuarat &trima memo JK Bertindak Empangan Tambatuon dua bulan lalu. Kluar dlm paper. @limkitsiang playing spin doctor lagi ke?
29 May
mpkotabelud Abdul Rahman Dahlan
Tak payah main politik dgn I. U all pun sama. RT @kaikiok: Read the rest of this entry »
Tambatuon Saga: A Village fights for its life
By Dr Edwin Bosi
Rombituon in the local Dusun dialect means stars. When the early settlers came down into this valley they saw thousands of twinkling stars as darkness set. Then they realize there were so many people settling down the plain as many as the stars that appeared before them. The people were enchanted with its beauty, decided to call it home and called it Tambatuon. The origin of Tambatuon went way back few hundred years ago, the people originating from Nunuk Ragang and Bundu Tuhan in the Ranau highlands. They believe Tambatuon has seen 17 generations of which only eight can be traced for now. The Dusuns predominates although other races such as the Chinese, Murut Lundayeh, Iban and Dusun-Timorese have made this village more plural.
The water in the river was pleasantly cooling, clean, crystal clear and refreshing. Fish was abundance. The river is lined with beautiful pebbles and boulders, the sound of rapids so pleasant never failing to draw the freshness and cooling breeze accompanied by nature’s forest aroma. As the eyes follow the meandering river one can see a commanding hill called Saduk Saduk (Nungkok) and well beyond it is the majestic Mount Kinabalu, the second highest mountain in South East Asia. For a moment one then realizes that the water before them has started up on the peak of Mt Kinabalu. Read the rest of this entry »
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