http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=83435
Tourism industry a revenue generator for Bario
by Justin Yap
justinyap@theborneopost.com.
Posted on December 31, 2010, Friday
KUCHING: Tourism in Bario has grown from its accidental beginnings to being a mainstay of the local economy evolving along the way into various niche markets including ecotourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, research tourism and the latest manifestation of development conferencing.
Bario is the traditional homeland of the Kelabit people, one of the Borneo’s smaller ethnic minorities numbering around 5,000 people with an estimated 1,000 still living in or around Bario.
“The growth of tourism in Bario is closely interwoven with other aspects of the social and cultural development of the community which it has grown alongside,” said one of the homestay owners in Bario Jaman Riboh Tekapan, who has 22 years of experience in the tourism industry in the community.
“Tourism has been recognised as a small-scale and non-agricultural activity that can constitute an important source of revenue generation and thereby create new venues for economic growth in Bario,” he pointed out to The Borneo Post in a recent interview.
He further noted the recent road linkage as well as the airstrip made it possible for tourist to visit Bario and the closest house was also the home of the headman. However, guests did not feel obliged to pay for their keep until the headman’s son placed a sign on the house proclaiming it as a ‘homestay’.
“That is how the tourism industry started in Bario,” he pointed out.
According to research, the next major stimulus to tourism was the recent infrastructure development, the eBario project which introduced telecommunication services into the community.
“The latest project we have for Bario is the community radio slated to be launched in March next year,” said eBario Sdn Bhd’s (eBario) project director John Tarawe.
“eBario has been recently granted the content applications service provider (CASP) class licence by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). With the CASP class licence, we will be the first company to deploy a community radio station in Malaysia,” added Tarawe.
By connecting the community to the outside world, the eBario project has had a profound impact on the community. The project has provided a significant boost to the tourism industry by facilitating the growth of websites for promotion and the exchange of information between potential visitors and the homestay operators in the community.
“From a slow beginning in the late 1990s, when there was only a single guest house, there are now around a dozen. Trekking tours range from a few days hiking with overnights in the scattered longhouses to more arduous expeditions of up to a week or more including jungle survival training,” Tekapan highlighted.
Adventure tourism involved exploration or travel to remote hostile areas, while cultural tourism was a genre of special interest tourism based on the search for and participation in new and deep cultural experiences.
“Cultural tourism in Bario is boosted by the ‘Bario Slow Food Festival’ which was established in 2005 and was held for its fifth year in June 2010,” he pointed out.
Research tourism in Bario, on the other hand, was a recognised concept that valued the contributions that researchers could make to the communities. The community was now adopting a more proactive approach towards any research to which they would consent that was to be conducted on their environment, he highlighted.
Accordingly, the benefits of research in Bario now far exceeded the contributions that researchers made to the local economy through their presence as it contributed knowledge that would underpin their own development objectives.
“In this regard, the eBario telecentre plays a vital role in providing communication and data processing facilities to visiting researchers. Coupled with the ready availability of research assistants who have gained experience in research in the social and natural sciences, researchers from outside could hit the ground running when they come to Bario.
“Research tourism has therefore developed into a critical component of the community’s economic development plans,” Tekapan explained. “Development conferencing is another type of tourism that is being pioneered in Bario.”
In December 2007, eBario organised the ‘eBario Knowledge Fair’, a multidisciplinary conference held in Bario. ‘The Knowledge Fair’ was held to showcase how a remote and isolated indigenous community had appropriated ICTs. It brought together more than a 100 participants from 15 countries.
Tarawe shared his view that travelling to attend a conference was a form of tourism. It was a particular type of tourism in which groups of people were brought together to share knowledge and promote their products.
“The term ‘pro-poor tourism’ has emerged as a mechanism for ensuring a larger proportion of tourism revenue. It is earned by the poor residents of popular tourism locations, something that is not an automatic outcome of the growth of global tourism,” he added.
Tourism in Bario is making contributions to the Bario community that go beyond increase in incomes and the creation of ‘income-earning’ opportunities. The combined effects of improved communications and road linkages has resulted in a further opening up of Bario and the Kelabit culture to the wider world.
In spurring an increase in the number of flights and in feeding off as well as contributing to the growth in use of ICTs, tourism had become intertwined with local development, growing from its accidental beginnings to a mainstay of life in the Highlands.
Bario is globalising on its own terms and tourism is an integral component of the process.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Bridging the digital divide through eBario concept
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=83149
Bridging the digital divide through eBario concept
by Justin Yap
justinyap@theborneopost.com.
Posted on December 30, 2010, Thursday
KUCHING: Bario known as the ‘Land of a Thousand Hand-Shakes’ is the homeland to the Kelabit ethnic minority. The indigenous community that emerged from isolation only within the last half century has shown massive positive development from the results of eBario projects.
PHOTO: John Tarawe
eBario began in 1998 as a research project undertaken by the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) with the support of the International Development Research Centre of Canada and the government of Malaysia. The objective was to demonstrate opportunities for sustainable development in a remote and isolated rural community from the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
“The project was undertaken against the background of the government’s aggressive adoption of ICTs for national development and the underdeveloped infrastructure as well as the scattered population of the nation’s largest state,” eBario Sdn Bhd project director John Tarawe told The Borneo Post during an exclusive trip to Bario.
Before the eBario project, communications were limited to rudimentary radio links and electricity was obtainable from household generators or solar panels. “At the heart of the Borneo island, Bario represents an extreme example of the digital divide,” said Tarawe.
According to Tarawe, a baseline study was conducted in order to understand the conditions of life and computers were progressively introduced, beginning with schools. “With the assistance of Telekom Malaysia, a community telecentre was established which consisted of computers with satellite (VSAT) access to the Internet as well as public phones and a reliable generator-driven power supply.”
In July 2002, the project was handed over by the research team to the community, with a local project manager and management committee. The project demonstrated that access to ICTs, specifically the Internet could precipitate significant improvements in the lives of such communities.
E-Bario has won many awards and was featured by the International Telecommunications Union as ‘one of the most notable of Malaysia’s Internet development initiatives.’
Due to the great success of the eBario project, the Unimas team was given the opportunity and honour by the government to replicate the same implementation model to five other nationwide remote sites throughout Malaysia.
Tarawe, who is also the telecentre manager for Centre of Excellence for Rural Informatics (CoERI) said the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) had allocated RM4 million for the project. “Four projects have been implemented at Long Lamai and Ba’Kelalang in Sarawak, Kg Buayan in Sabah and Larapan Island in Semporna. The remaining will be used to upgrade the telecommunication facilities in Bario.”
With the implementation of telecommunication services in community villages, Bario is finally on the global radar. Riding on the new visibility, Bario is currently enjoying a steady trickle of visitors who are attracted by the unique culture and hospitality of the residents as well as the pristine highland rainforest environment.
Tourism is now a significant contributor to the local economy. There has been an increase in the number of lodges and restaurants providing accommodation and meals since eBario began. The increase in tourism has had the effect of doubling the number of flights between Bario and Miri.
“This has had a knock-on effect on the agricultural economy. Bario is famous for its rice, which is grown organically and is highly sought after due to its light taste and delicate fragrance. The increase in the
number of flights has allowed the farmers in Bario to send more rice to the urban markets and this in turn has stimulated rice production during that period,” Tarawe pointed out.
However, he also revealed that Bario’s rice production had drop significantly during the last few years because of the lack of manpower. In order to overcome this issue, CoRIE was currently working with National Padi and Rice Board (LPN) to introduce SMART farming concept for the community.
Another benefit relates to the use of the telecentre by the local clinic which became the first rural clinic in Sarawak with internet access. The medical technician at the clinic has been able to share medical information with doctors in the towns, obtain better information about the drugs at the clinic and about the common ailments among the residents.
The Kelabit community regularly conduct online discussions on topics that affect their future. “The eBario telecentre now allows Kelabits living in the highlands to participate in these discussions on an equal footing with their compatriots in the towns and overseas,” said Tarawe.
“Moreover, the entire Kelabit community is now developing online facilities to preserve their cultural heritage by capturing the recollections of the old folks and by assembling a digital library of Kelabit writings,” he added.
According to a study, the improved communications that Bario now enjoys with the outside world has lead to a number of significant changes. Family interactions have greatly improved and this had
been most keenly felt at the time of family emergencies, such as at times of sickness and bereavement.
Previously, relatives often heard about such emergencies well after the event when it was too late to act.
Additionally, the telecentre played a crucial role in coordinating search and rescue operations after a helicopter crashed in the nearby rugged highlands. Flight operations have also been enhanced by the improved communications that provide pilots with vital weather conditions that could be highly variable over short distances in the highland terrain.
“The eBario experience has been shared nationally and internationally with several agencies, including presentations organised by UMDP, UNESCAP, IDRC and the government of Malaysia,” said Tarawe, who is also the chairman of Kelabit Association of Sarawak and chairman of the Heart of Borneo Forum (Formadat).
The project team adopted Participatory Action Research (PAR) as the research methodology. Adopting PAR led the researchers and the community to jointly agree on a community development agenda that would be based on the use of the telecentre. The agenda consisted of a set of activities in which information systems and ICTs were embedded, but which also included associated human activities as well.
“The agenda serves as a long term vision for community interaction with itself, with the wider Kelabit diaspora, researchers and other external agencies leading to community development that is mediated by ICTs,” Tarawe explained.
Bridging the digital divide through eBario concept
by Justin Yap
justinyap@theborneopost.com.
Posted on December 30, 2010, Thursday
KUCHING: Bario known as the ‘Land of a Thousand Hand-Shakes’ is the homeland to the Kelabit ethnic minority. The indigenous community that emerged from isolation only within the last half century has shown massive positive development from the results of eBario projects.
PHOTO: John Tarawe
eBario began in 1998 as a research project undertaken by the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) with the support of the International Development Research Centre of Canada and the government of Malaysia. The objective was to demonstrate opportunities for sustainable development in a remote and isolated rural community from the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
“The project was undertaken against the background of the government’s aggressive adoption of ICTs for national development and the underdeveloped infrastructure as well as the scattered population of the nation’s largest state,” eBario Sdn Bhd project director John Tarawe told The Borneo Post during an exclusive trip to Bario.
Before the eBario project, communications were limited to rudimentary radio links and electricity was obtainable from household generators or solar panels. “At the heart of the Borneo island, Bario represents an extreme example of the digital divide,” said Tarawe.
According to Tarawe, a baseline study was conducted in order to understand the conditions of life and computers were progressively introduced, beginning with schools. “With the assistance of Telekom Malaysia, a community telecentre was established which consisted of computers with satellite (VSAT) access to the Internet as well as public phones and a reliable generator-driven power supply.”
In July 2002, the project was handed over by the research team to the community, with a local project manager and management committee. The project demonstrated that access to ICTs, specifically the Internet could precipitate significant improvements in the lives of such communities.
E-Bario has won many awards and was featured by the International Telecommunications Union as ‘one of the most notable of Malaysia’s Internet development initiatives.’
Due to the great success of the eBario project, the Unimas team was given the opportunity and honour by the government to replicate the same implementation model to five other nationwide remote sites throughout Malaysia.
Tarawe, who is also the telecentre manager for Centre of Excellence for Rural Informatics (CoERI) said the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) had allocated RM4 million for the project. “Four projects have been implemented at Long Lamai and Ba’Kelalang in Sarawak, Kg Buayan in Sabah and Larapan Island in Semporna. The remaining will be used to upgrade the telecommunication facilities in Bario.”
With the implementation of telecommunication services in community villages, Bario is finally on the global radar. Riding on the new visibility, Bario is currently enjoying a steady trickle of visitors who are attracted by the unique culture and hospitality of the residents as well as the pristine highland rainforest environment.
Tourism is now a significant contributor to the local economy. There has been an increase in the number of lodges and restaurants providing accommodation and meals since eBario began. The increase in tourism has had the effect of doubling the number of flights between Bario and Miri.
“This has had a knock-on effect on the agricultural economy. Bario is famous for its rice, which is grown organically and is highly sought after due to its light taste and delicate fragrance. The increase in the
number of flights has allowed the farmers in Bario to send more rice to the urban markets and this in turn has stimulated rice production during that period,” Tarawe pointed out.
However, he also revealed that Bario’s rice production had drop significantly during the last few years because of the lack of manpower. In order to overcome this issue, CoRIE was currently working with National Padi and Rice Board (LPN) to introduce SMART farming concept for the community.
Another benefit relates to the use of the telecentre by the local clinic which became the first rural clinic in Sarawak with internet access. The medical technician at the clinic has been able to share medical information with doctors in the towns, obtain better information about the drugs at the clinic and about the common ailments among the residents.
The Kelabit community regularly conduct online discussions on topics that affect their future. “The eBario telecentre now allows Kelabits living in the highlands to participate in these discussions on an equal footing with their compatriots in the towns and overseas,” said Tarawe.
“Moreover, the entire Kelabit community is now developing online facilities to preserve their cultural heritage by capturing the recollections of the old folks and by assembling a digital library of Kelabit writings,” he added.
According to a study, the improved communications that Bario now enjoys with the outside world has lead to a number of significant changes. Family interactions have greatly improved and this had
been most keenly felt at the time of family emergencies, such as at times of sickness and bereavement.
Previously, relatives often heard about such emergencies well after the event when it was too late to act.
Additionally, the telecentre played a crucial role in coordinating search and rescue operations after a helicopter crashed in the nearby rugged highlands. Flight operations have also been enhanced by the improved communications that provide pilots with vital weather conditions that could be highly variable over short distances in the highland terrain.
“The eBario experience has been shared nationally and internationally with several agencies, including presentations organised by UMDP, UNESCAP, IDRC and the government of Malaysia,” said Tarawe, who is also the chairman of Kelabit Association of Sarawak and chairman of the Heart of Borneo Forum (Formadat).
The project team adopted Participatory Action Research (PAR) as the research methodology. Adopting PAR led the researchers and the community to jointly agree on a community development agenda that would be based on the use of the telecentre. The agenda consisted of a set of activities in which information systems and ICTs were embedded, but which also included associated human activities as well.
“The agenda serves as a long term vision for community interaction with itself, with the wider Kelabit diaspora, researchers and other external agencies leading to community development that is mediated by ICTs,” Tarawe explained.
Monday, December 20, 2010
RM90m to fight non-communicable diseases
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=55373
RM90m to fight non-communicable diseases
Opalyn Mok
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN (Dec 20, 2010): The federal government has allocated RM90 million under the 10th Malaysian Plan to combat the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol.
The first programme under this allocation, which is community empowerment to combat NCD, has already started in several states in the last two months, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
"We are giving more power to the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) to implement the health agenda," he said at a press conference after the launch of the Bandar Baru Air Itam Health Clinic here today.
The clinic started operations on June 16 and it is the only government health clinic in the country to have a six-storey structure. It can cater to about 350 outpatients each day.
Liow said the JKKK will be the role model, adviser and leader in the health agenda.
"We are looking at appointing between 20 and 30 volunteers in each village to be part of this programme so that they could reach out to the community and spread awareness while educating and encouraging a healthy lifestyle and to cultivate good eating habits," he said.
He said there are other programmes to combat the rise of NCD in the pipeline which will be rolled out in stages in future.
On top of the allocation, Liow said the cabinet has approved the forming of a cabinet committee to manage the rise of NCD.
"The deputy prime minister will chair this committee and 12 other ministries, such as the local council and housing, youth and sports, education and transport ministries, will be involved in the committee," he said.
"The committee will be discussing the ways to combat the rise of NCD and obesity, which is the main cause for NCD, and come up with national strategic plans and policies to fight it," he said.
On another matter, Liow said young doctors must accept being posted to rural areas, especially Sabah and Sarawak for at least two years.
"I have received a lot of appeals from doctors who want to remain in the cities like Kuala Lumpur, (in) Selangor and do not want to be posted to rural areas," he said, adding that they should accept such postings as they must have the spirit to serve the community.
"Due to this, we have in place an incentive for them. Those who accept postings to the rural areas will only serve there for a maximum of two years and after that they will get a transfer back to the cities," he said.
RM90m to fight non-communicable diseases
Opalyn Mok
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN (Dec 20, 2010): The federal government has allocated RM90 million under the 10th Malaysian Plan to combat the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol.
The first programme under this allocation, which is community empowerment to combat NCD, has already started in several states in the last two months, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
"We are giving more power to the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) to implement the health agenda," he said at a press conference after the launch of the Bandar Baru Air Itam Health Clinic here today.
The clinic started operations on June 16 and it is the only government health clinic in the country to have a six-storey structure. It can cater to about 350 outpatients each day.
Liow said the JKKK will be the role model, adviser and leader in the health agenda.
"We are looking at appointing between 20 and 30 volunteers in each village to be part of this programme so that they could reach out to the community and spread awareness while educating and encouraging a healthy lifestyle and to cultivate good eating habits," he said.
He said there are other programmes to combat the rise of NCD in the pipeline which will be rolled out in stages in future.
On top of the allocation, Liow said the cabinet has approved the forming of a cabinet committee to manage the rise of NCD.
"The deputy prime minister will chair this committee and 12 other ministries, such as the local council and housing, youth and sports, education and transport ministries, will be involved in the committee," he said.
"The committee will be discussing the ways to combat the rise of NCD and obesity, which is the main cause for NCD, and come up with national strategic plans and policies to fight it," he said.
On another matter, Liow said young doctors must accept being posted to rural areas, especially Sabah and Sarawak for at least two years.
"I have received a lot of appeals from doctors who want to remain in the cities like Kuala Lumpur, (in) Selangor and do not want to be posted to rural areas," he said, adding that they should accept such postings as they must have the spirit to serve the community.
"Due to this, we have in place an incentive for them. Those who accept postings to the rural areas will only serve there for a maximum of two years and after that they will get a transfer back to the cities," he said.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
NCR land perimeter survey in Ulu Tinjar to start this week
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=80999
NCR land perimeter survey in Ulu Tinjar to start this week
Posted on December 18, 2010, Saturday
MIRI: Land and Survey (L&S) Department will be carrying out a perimeter survey for Long Aton, Ulu Tinjar in Baram starting this week.
FIRST HAND LOOK: Lihan uses a theodolite to make an area survey while others look on.
Land officer Mohamad Asri Haji Jaya said the size of Long Aton which will be surveyed is about 1,207 hectares and belongs to some 3,329 landowners.
“Long Aton, Tinjar is the second in Miri to be surveyed under the Native Customary Right (NCR) new initiative. The area was requested for survey by the Kayan-Kenyah community here and I am happy that the L&S is able to fulfill their request,” he said during a dialogue session with Long Aton community yesterday.
Mohamad Asri said the department would continue to engage and consult the Long Aton community to enable the people to express their opinions and thoughts.
In ensuring the success of the implementation of NCR new initiative, he urged landowners to render their full co-operation to the department when the survey work is carried out this week.
“Our target is to complete perimeter survey of Long Aton within a month and hopefully with assistance from the landowners, the department will be able to achieve its target,” he remarked.
After the completion of survey work, the land will be gazetted as Native Communal Reserve under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code.
Mohamad Asri assured the community can immediately detect any intrusion on their land when their land is already gazetted.
Survey of NCR land under the New Initiative is an ongoing process and will continue until the end of 10th Malaysia Plan which or by 2015.
Meanwhile, Telang Usan Assemblyman Lihan Jok has expressed his gratitude to the government in speed up the perimeter survey process at one of his areas.
“Don’t be misled by the opposition party as the perimeter survey has no hidden agenda to seize the people’s NCR land.
“In fact the Land Code has stated clearly that there is alternative way to claim your NCR land,” he remarked.
NCR land perimeter survey in Ulu Tinjar to start this week
Posted on December 18, 2010, Saturday
MIRI: Land and Survey (L&S) Department will be carrying out a perimeter survey for Long Aton, Ulu Tinjar in Baram starting this week.
FIRST HAND LOOK: Lihan uses a theodolite to make an area survey while others look on.
Land officer Mohamad Asri Haji Jaya said the size of Long Aton which will be surveyed is about 1,207 hectares and belongs to some 3,329 landowners.
“Long Aton, Tinjar is the second in Miri to be surveyed under the Native Customary Right (NCR) new initiative. The area was requested for survey by the Kayan-Kenyah community here and I am happy that the L&S is able to fulfill their request,” he said during a dialogue session with Long Aton community yesterday.
Mohamad Asri said the department would continue to engage and consult the Long Aton community to enable the people to express their opinions and thoughts.
In ensuring the success of the implementation of NCR new initiative, he urged landowners to render their full co-operation to the department when the survey work is carried out this week.
“Our target is to complete perimeter survey of Long Aton within a month and hopefully with assistance from the landowners, the department will be able to achieve its target,” he remarked.
After the completion of survey work, the land will be gazetted as Native Communal Reserve under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code.
Mohamad Asri assured the community can immediately detect any intrusion on their land when their land is already gazetted.
Survey of NCR land under the New Initiative is an ongoing process and will continue until the end of 10th Malaysia Plan which or by 2015.
Meanwhile, Telang Usan Assemblyman Lihan Jok has expressed his gratitude to the government in speed up the perimeter survey process at one of his areas.
“Don’t be misled by the opposition party as the perimeter survey has no hidden agenda to seize the people’s NCR land.
“In fact the Land Code has stated clearly that there is alternative way to claim your NCR land,” he remarked.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Mawan rubbished Larry Sng in Meluan rumour
http://sarawakupdate.com/home/10th-state-election/mawan-rubbished-larry-sng-in-meluan-rumour/
Mawan rubbished Larry Sng in Meluan rumour
SIBU, Dec.16 (Bernama) — Talk is rife that the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party will swap Meluan for Kidurong with the Sarawak United People’s Party for the state election, which must be called before June 2011.
SPDP president Datuk Sri William Mawan Ikom is not amused, not least of all because Meluan is a Barisan Nasional stronghold while Kidurong is the DAP’s.
He dismissed the speculation as “coffee shop talk” and asserted that Meluan will always be SPDP territory.
Mawan questioned the motive of the speculators, with rumours of personality clashes abounding as politicians jockey for position for the coming polls.
“Are they trying to get me to be at loggerheads with (SUPP president) Tan Sri (Dr George) Chan?”
According to one scenario, SPDP’s Wong anak Judat, serving his second term as Meluan assemblyman, will not be re-nominated and his Iban majority seat will be contested by a Chinese candidate from SUPP.
In the exchange, SPDP treasurer-general and Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing will vie for the mixed Kidurong seat held by DAP deputy state chairman Chew Chiu Sing, now in his fourth electoral term.
SUPP is said to be planning to field Pelagus state assemblyman Larry Sng, an assistant minister in the chief minister’s office, in Meluan.
Sng has been sacked from Parti Rakyat Sarawak after a falling out with PRS president Datuk Sri Dr.James Jemut Masing.
This means that Sng, seen as a upcoming Chinese leader by some, will have to join SUPP first.
But Meluan voters are not likely to lay out the red carpet for Larry Sng although his father Datuk Sng Chee Hua had been a two-term MP for Julau.
The many press statements issued recently advocating that Wong’s replacement should be a local-born and an Iban are indicative of the sentiment on the ground.
At least five locals have lobbied to be candidate in place of Wong, who has been criticised for alleged aggressiveness and lack of tack in handling certain issues.
So does this mean the end for Wong?
Mawan said that SPDP had endorsed Wong as candidate, but the final say would have to come from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as Barisan Nasional chairman and Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud as state BN head.
He believes that Wong can defend Meluan.
“If he can retain around 40 per cent of his voters, and leaders and supporters of BN component parties continue to support him in the interest and spirit of Barisan, he can and will deliver,” Mawan said.
Mawan, who is the State the Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation, said SPDP would give special attention to the Ba Kelalan constituency.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat state chief Baru Bian, a leading Lun Bawang lawyer on native customary rights to land, is expected to challenge incumbent Nelson Balang Rining, the SPDP secretary-general, for the seat.
Mawan said: “There may be people out there who think that Balang is not as strong as we think he is. But this is disputable. I have been to the area.”
Mawan believes that Balang can pull through although with a reduced majority.
If Baru is indeed contesting, the Kelabit community will be for Balang. But the Lun Bawang community will be split, he said.
On the party’s overall preparations for the state elections, Mawan said the SPDP was fully ready to defend the eight seats it holds.
“We want to deliver Pakan, Meluan, Krian, Marudi, Tasik Biru, Bekenu, Batu Danau nand Ba Kelalan again to Barisan Nasional,” he said. –BERNAMA
Mawan rubbished Larry Sng in Meluan rumour
SIBU, Dec.16 (Bernama) — Talk is rife that the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party will swap Meluan for Kidurong with the Sarawak United People’s Party for the state election, which must be called before June 2011.
SPDP president Datuk Sri William Mawan Ikom is not amused, not least of all because Meluan is a Barisan Nasional stronghold while Kidurong is the DAP’s.
He dismissed the speculation as “coffee shop talk” and asserted that Meluan will always be SPDP territory.
Mawan questioned the motive of the speculators, with rumours of personality clashes abounding as politicians jockey for position for the coming polls.
“Are they trying to get me to be at loggerheads with (SUPP president) Tan Sri (Dr George) Chan?”
According to one scenario, SPDP’s Wong anak Judat, serving his second term as Meluan assemblyman, will not be re-nominated and his Iban majority seat will be contested by a Chinese candidate from SUPP.
In the exchange, SPDP treasurer-general and Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing will vie for the mixed Kidurong seat held by DAP deputy state chairman Chew Chiu Sing, now in his fourth electoral term.
SUPP is said to be planning to field Pelagus state assemblyman Larry Sng, an assistant minister in the chief minister’s office, in Meluan.
Sng has been sacked from Parti Rakyat Sarawak after a falling out with PRS president Datuk Sri Dr.James Jemut Masing.
This means that Sng, seen as a upcoming Chinese leader by some, will have to join SUPP first.
But Meluan voters are not likely to lay out the red carpet for Larry Sng although his father Datuk Sng Chee Hua had been a two-term MP for Julau.
The many press statements issued recently advocating that Wong’s replacement should be a local-born and an Iban are indicative of the sentiment on the ground.
At least five locals have lobbied to be candidate in place of Wong, who has been criticised for alleged aggressiveness and lack of tack in handling certain issues.
So does this mean the end for Wong?
Mawan said that SPDP had endorsed Wong as candidate, but the final say would have to come from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as Barisan Nasional chairman and Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud as state BN head.
He believes that Wong can defend Meluan.
“If he can retain around 40 per cent of his voters, and leaders and supporters of BN component parties continue to support him in the interest and spirit of Barisan, he can and will deliver,” Mawan said.
Mawan, who is the State the Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation, said SPDP would give special attention to the Ba Kelalan constituency.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat state chief Baru Bian, a leading Lun Bawang lawyer on native customary rights to land, is expected to challenge incumbent Nelson Balang Rining, the SPDP secretary-general, for the seat.
Mawan said: “There may be people out there who think that Balang is not as strong as we think he is. But this is disputable. I have been to the area.”
Mawan believes that Balang can pull through although with a reduced majority.
If Baru is indeed contesting, the Kelabit community will be for Balang. But the Lun Bawang community will be split, he said.
On the party’s overall preparations for the state elections, Mawan said the SPDP was fully ready to defend the eight seats it holds.
“We want to deliver Pakan, Meluan, Krian, Marudi, Tasik Biru, Bekenu, Batu Danau nand Ba Kelalan again to Barisan Nasional,” he said. –BERNAMA
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
PKR calls for review of flying doctor service
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-sarawak/14170-pkr-calls-for-review-of-flying-doctor-service
PKR calls for review of flying doctor service
Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:44
By Joseph Tawie
KUCHING: Sarawak PKR has called for a full review and renaming of the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) in Sarawak.
Its health bureau chief Dr Francis Ngu said the FDS should be renamed as Flying Medical Services (FMS) providing paramedical staff and community nurses instead of doctors.
"We would achieve the same or comparable public health outcomes with paramedical staff as with the current doctors. Currently the FDS is highly expensive for both logistics and personnel," he said.
Ngu said that while the FDS should not be restricted to one or two sorties per day, it must however improve ground personnel through village health promoters, facilities and equipment rather than focus on improving service delivery.
“Should there not be health promotion talks, demonstrations instead of just ‘pills-for all’ services?”
“Should there not be rural health promoters at all locations, to provide continuous synergism to the service of the FDS/FMS staff?” he asked.
Ngu was responding to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's call on Saturday urging the federal and state governments to map out a more “realistic” plan in view of the scattered population in the state.
He reminded the governments that Sarawakians were spread out in 6,000 settlements, out which 60 percent consisted of fewer than 50 families.
“As long as the population was not concentrated and without easy transport, more efforts must be placed on the flying doctor service,” Taib had said.
Commenting on Taib's statement, Ngu suggested that where small plane landing airstrips are made available, for instance at Bario, Ba’Kelalan and Long Seridan, the FDS should be upgraded by using fixed winged aircrafts.
He also proposed that more landing strips be built for fixed winged aircrafts at remote locations, if population concentration justifies.
“Such a service would allow more staff and equipment to be flown example for dental service and eye screening,” Ngu said.
He added, that FDS/FMS would be better served by a full time Flying Medical Services Corps, thereby developing special expertise in rural medicine and dentistry.
“While consolidating and even vastly improving the FDS, the stronger emphasis must be steadily increasing the rural reach by land and riverine transport infrastructure, and establishing static facilities where population numbers justify cost effectiveness,” he said.
Contract irregularities
The FDS was launched in September 1973 as a pilot project to bring modern medicine to people in very remote areas of Sarawak.
Among its aims were to medically treat people in remote areas and help them improve their health status so that they would be economically productive.
It was also to narrow down the disparity in the provision of Medical and Health Services between urban and rural and remote interiors which are not easily accessible by normal means of communications.
In addition the government also hoped to make its presence felt in these remote locations which otherwise could easily fall prey to the influence of the insurgents.
Following the initial success of the white-coated doctor's visit to the longhouses which had never seen such personnel before, the government decided to have the FDS as a permanent service.
However recently FDS has been seeing a series of setbacks.
“The FDS is an expensive service which was put in place as much for political expediency of government rural reach in the 1970s, as for focused service provision," said Ngu.
"It was meant to be a stop-gap measure till the development of transport infrastructure, whence static service will replace the FDS.
"In recent years, there have been widespread service disruptions, leading to much dissatisfaction from rural communities concerned.
“Much of this failure has been traced by an opposition legislators to contract irregularities, involving political cronies,” he added.
PKR calls for review of flying doctor service
Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:44
By Joseph Tawie
KUCHING: Sarawak PKR has called for a full review and renaming of the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) in Sarawak.
Its health bureau chief Dr Francis Ngu said the FDS should be renamed as Flying Medical Services (FMS) providing paramedical staff and community nurses instead of doctors.
"We would achieve the same or comparable public health outcomes with paramedical staff as with the current doctors. Currently the FDS is highly expensive for both logistics and personnel," he said.
Ngu said that while the FDS should not be restricted to one or two sorties per day, it must however improve ground personnel through village health promoters, facilities and equipment rather than focus on improving service delivery.
“Should there not be health promotion talks, demonstrations instead of just ‘pills-for all’ services?”
“Should there not be rural health promoters at all locations, to provide continuous synergism to the service of the FDS/FMS staff?” he asked.
Ngu was responding to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's call on Saturday urging the federal and state governments to map out a more “realistic” plan in view of the scattered population in the state.
He reminded the governments that Sarawakians were spread out in 6,000 settlements, out which 60 percent consisted of fewer than 50 families.
“As long as the population was not concentrated and without easy transport, more efforts must be placed on the flying doctor service,” Taib had said.
Commenting on Taib's statement, Ngu suggested that where small plane landing airstrips are made available, for instance at Bario, Ba’Kelalan and Long Seridan, the FDS should be upgraded by using fixed winged aircrafts.
He also proposed that more landing strips be built for fixed winged aircrafts at remote locations, if population concentration justifies.
“Such a service would allow more staff and equipment to be flown example for dental service and eye screening,” Ngu said.
He added, that FDS/FMS would be better served by a full time Flying Medical Services Corps, thereby developing special expertise in rural medicine and dentistry.
“While consolidating and even vastly improving the FDS, the stronger emphasis must be steadily increasing the rural reach by land and riverine transport infrastructure, and establishing static facilities where population numbers justify cost effectiveness,” he said.
Contract irregularities
The FDS was launched in September 1973 as a pilot project to bring modern medicine to people in very remote areas of Sarawak.
Among its aims were to medically treat people in remote areas and help them improve their health status so that they would be economically productive.
It was also to narrow down the disparity in the provision of Medical and Health Services between urban and rural and remote interiors which are not easily accessible by normal means of communications.
In addition the government also hoped to make its presence felt in these remote locations which otherwise could easily fall prey to the influence of the insurgents.
Following the initial success of the white-coated doctor's visit to the longhouses which had never seen such personnel before, the government decided to have the FDS as a permanent service.
However recently FDS has been seeing a series of setbacks.
“The FDS is an expensive service which was put in place as much for political expediency of government rural reach in the 1970s, as for focused service provision," said Ngu.
"It was meant to be a stop-gap measure till the development of transport infrastructure, whence static service will replace the FDS.
"In recent years, there have been widespread service disruptions, leading to much dissatisfaction from rural communities concerned.
“Much of this failure has been traced by an opposition legislators to contract irregularities, involving political cronies,” he added.
Unique plant with anti-cancer agent garners interest
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=80253
Unique plant with anti-cancer agent garners interest
by Johnson K Saai.
Posted on December 14, 2010, Tuesday
KUCHING: Several renowned universities and commercial companies were enquiring about the availability of silvestrol which has a remarkable potential to be developed as an anti-cancer agent.
“This plant is found in Ba Kelalan and is known as ‘Segera’ to the Ibans and ‘Kellabuno’ to the Orang Ulu community. It contains a potent compound called silvestrol which has been patented worldwide by the Sarawak government, covering at least 16 countries,” Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan disclosed.
He said the state government was reviewing the agreements to be signed with the interested parties now and when these collaborations take off, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) will be the main agency to coordinate the supply of this drug candidate.
Dr Chan was speaking at the official opening of Sarawak Biodiversity Centre administration building and Karnival Biodiversity 2010 by Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud at Km20, Jalan Puncak Borneo near here.
He said earlier, the ‘special plant’ found in the Laila Taib Ethno-Botanical Garden in SBC, which contains a potent compound called silvestrol and has remarkable potential to be developed as an anti cancer agent, had drawn intense attention from a number of high profile international research groups.
“Furthermore, a related patent is now being filed by SBC that enables the DNA identification of plant species that produces this compound. This is very important in the event that collection and mass propagation of this plant becomes necessary,” he added.
He also pointed out that National Cancer Institute of USA; a leading agency in cancer research and clinical trials has teamed up with the prestigious Ohio State University, known for its clinical development of therapeutic drug for cancer, especially leukaemia, to work with SBC to conduct pre-clinical and clinical trials for silvestrol.
Meanwhile, Dr Chan, who is Tourism and Heritage Minister, said since the state was rich in biodiversity, it was advisable that local communities take the initiative to establish nurseries and gardens of useful plants.
He suggested that the establishment of such nurseries and gardens will not only facilitate conservation effort of the biodiversity but it can also become tourist attractions.
He said one good example was the herbal garden established by the Penan community of Long Iman near Mulu National Park where a minimal fee of RM1 will be charged for a guided garden tour.
“Another potential tourist draw is the establishment of a garden for useful plants and the distillation of aromatic essential oils by the Bidayuh community of Kampung Kiding in Padawan,” he said.
Dr Chan said that the Laila Taib Ethno-Botanical Garden will give a lasting impression to anyone who walked through it.
The plants in this unique garden were contributed by many communities, namely the Bidayuh, Penan, Selako, Iban, Malay, Melalau, Berawan, Lun Bawang, Kayan, Kelabit, Bisaya and Kenyah.
“Communities that participate in SBC’s Traditional Knowledge Documentation programme are also encouraged to set up their own nurseries and gardens of useful plants as part of the conservation efforts,” he disclosed.
He said that many opportunities for research could be done on the biodiversity present there and more importantly was how the research could help mankind in terms of pharmaceuticals, medicines, and health as well as tourism.
Unique plant with anti-cancer agent garners interest
by Johnson K Saai.
Posted on December 14, 2010, Tuesday
KUCHING: Several renowned universities and commercial companies were enquiring about the availability of silvestrol which has a remarkable potential to be developed as an anti-cancer agent.
“This plant is found in Ba Kelalan and is known as ‘Segera’ to the Ibans and ‘Kellabuno’ to the Orang Ulu community. It contains a potent compound called silvestrol which has been patented worldwide by the Sarawak government, covering at least 16 countries,” Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan disclosed.
He said the state government was reviewing the agreements to be signed with the interested parties now and when these collaborations take off, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) will be the main agency to coordinate the supply of this drug candidate.
Dr Chan was speaking at the official opening of Sarawak Biodiversity Centre administration building and Karnival Biodiversity 2010 by Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud at Km20, Jalan Puncak Borneo near here.
He said earlier, the ‘special plant’ found in the Laila Taib Ethno-Botanical Garden in SBC, which contains a potent compound called silvestrol and has remarkable potential to be developed as an anti cancer agent, had drawn intense attention from a number of high profile international research groups.
“Furthermore, a related patent is now being filed by SBC that enables the DNA identification of plant species that produces this compound. This is very important in the event that collection and mass propagation of this plant becomes necessary,” he added.
He also pointed out that National Cancer Institute of USA; a leading agency in cancer research and clinical trials has teamed up with the prestigious Ohio State University, known for its clinical development of therapeutic drug for cancer, especially leukaemia, to work with SBC to conduct pre-clinical and clinical trials for silvestrol.
Meanwhile, Dr Chan, who is Tourism and Heritage Minister, said since the state was rich in biodiversity, it was advisable that local communities take the initiative to establish nurseries and gardens of useful plants.
He suggested that the establishment of such nurseries and gardens will not only facilitate conservation effort of the biodiversity but it can also become tourist attractions.
He said one good example was the herbal garden established by the Penan community of Long Iman near Mulu National Park where a minimal fee of RM1 will be charged for a guided garden tour.
“Another potential tourist draw is the establishment of a garden for useful plants and the distillation of aromatic essential oils by the Bidayuh community of Kampung Kiding in Padawan,” he said.
Dr Chan said that the Laila Taib Ethno-Botanical Garden will give a lasting impression to anyone who walked through it.
The plants in this unique garden were contributed by many communities, namely the Bidayuh, Penan, Selako, Iban, Malay, Melalau, Berawan, Lun Bawang, Kayan, Kelabit, Bisaya and Kenyah.
“Communities that participate in SBC’s Traditional Knowledge Documentation programme are also encouraged to set up their own nurseries and gardens of useful plants as part of the conservation efforts,” he disclosed.
He said that many opportunities for research could be done on the biodiversity present there and more importantly was how the research could help mankind in terms of pharmaceuticals, medicines, and health as well as tourism.
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