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THE SABAH SOCIETYNewsletter 71 MarchApril 2003

THE SABAH SOCIETY AGM 2003

Fifty-two members attended The Sabah Society AGM 2003 held on22 April 2003 at Shangri-Las Tanjung Aru Resort (STAR). The

AGM was followed by a talk on the newly gazetted Tun Mustapha

Marine Park by Prof. Dr Ridzwan Abdul Rahman of UMS.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2003/2004

President: Datuk Chan Chew Lun

Vice President: Dr Heng Aik Cheng

Hon Secretary: Puan Zahra Yaacob

Hon Treasurer: Mr Daniel Soo

Committee Members: Dr Ho Tze Hok

Dr Ravi Mandalam

Dr Richard Barrow

Mr Albert TeoMr Wallace Welliam Tan

Immediate Past President: Tengku Datuk (Dr) Zainal Adlin

Hon Editor (Journal): Dr Geoffrey Davison

Ex-officio Member: Datuk Joseph Guntavid

SECRETARIAT NOTICES

1. The Sabah Society newsletter is now also

available as an e-newsletter. If you would

prefer to receive the electronic version,

please send an email to the secretariat.

2. Notices on all Society events (including

talks, trips and forums) are sent by email.

Please supply your email address to the

secretariat if you have not already done so.

(Please note that all email addresses will be

considered confidential information.)

3. If you have already supplied your emailaddress to the secretariat, but have not been

receiving emails from The Society, please

telephone Grace so that the problem can be

identified and corrected.

NEW MEMBERS

The President and the Committee members of The Sabah

Society warmly welcome the following new members who

have been endorsed by the Committee, and wish them a long,

happy and fruitful membership.

MARCH 2003

Mr Alphonsus Goh

Captain (R) George Lai

Mr Richard Chung

Mrs Lynda Joeman

Mr Patrick C L Chin

Mr Robert Tam

Mr Ng Ten Sung

Prof Dr Mohd Fauzi Yaacob

Mr Frederick Liew

Ms Tulip Noorizyze

Datuk Yong Teck Lee

APRIL 2003

Ms Amy Chin Siew Mei

Dr Premadeva Satkurunathan

Mr Hanfi Hussin

Ms Sharon Wong Yee Sim

Mr Jonathan Cocking

Mrs Arena Awang Chee

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

22 May 2003 Video presentation on Borneo

The Final Safari by Martin and

Osa Johnson

2 June 2003 Talk on Discovering Sabah

through Home Stay

by Ms Joanna Kissey-Kitingan

68 June 2003 Trip to Lankayan Island

mid-June 2003 Talk on Current Status of the

Medicinal Plant Resources in

Malaysia

by Assoc Prof Dr Kamarudin

Mat-Salleh

46 July 2003 Educational trip to Danum Valley

late July 2003 Forum on Likas Bay

Secretariat: 39-1, 1st Floor, Damai Plaza, Phase 4, Luyang, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.Postal address: P.O. Box 10547, 88806 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.Tel & Fax: 088-250443 e-mail: sabsoc @po.jaring.my Website: http://www.sabah.org.my/sabahsocietyAdministrative Exec utant: Ms Grace Tsang

Ed itor: Ka y Lyons
mailto:[email protected]://www.sabah.org.my/sabahsocietyhttp://www.sabah.org.my/sabahsocietymailto:[email protected]


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THESABAHSOCIETYNEWSLETTER71

THE SABAH SOCIETY

TALKS AND FIELD TRIPS

TALKS

DATE TITLE VENUE

5 March 2003 Spiders! Shangri-Las Tanjung Aru Resort

Drs Peter Koomen (STAR), Kota Kinabalu

18 March 2003 Natural Resource Use & Community in Banggi Shangri-Las Tanjung Aru Resort

Dr Fadzillah Majid Cooke (STAR), Kota Kinabalu

25 March 2003 The Leiden Natural History Museum Naturalis Shangri-Las Tanjung Aru Resort

Drs Peter Koomen (STAR), Kota Kinabalu

3 April 2003 Conservation & Sabah's Land Law: Shangri-Las Tanjung Aru Resort

The Legal Perspective (STAR), Kota Kinabalu

Mr James Lam

9 April 2003 A Study of Sea Bajau in Sulu Island: Shangri-Las Tanjung Aru Resort

A Comparison with Semporna Sea Bajau (STAR), Kota Kinabalu

Mr Wilfredo M. Torres III

16 April 2003 Tunku Abdul Rahman ParkSea Walking Shangri-Las Tanjung Aru Resort

Mr Francis Liew (STAR), Kota Kinabalu

FORUM

DATE TITLE VENUE

19 March 2003 Gaya StreetThe Future Shangri-Las Tanjung Aru Resort

Chairman: Dr Richard Barrow (STAR), Kota Kinabalu

FIELD TRIPS

DATE DESTINATION NO. PARTICIPANTS

1516 March 2003 Camping Trip to Tanjung Simpang Mengayau 39

45 April 2003 Mantanani Island Trip 27

1820 April 2003 Mount Kinabalu Climb 29

Sandakan

Sub-Committee Activities

The Sandakan sub-committees recent activities

for members living on the east coast included a

talk entitled Photo Safari Sabah by well-known

local photographer Cede Prudente on 26 April

2003, attended by about 70 people. A small group

also enjoyed a trip to Sepilok Laut on 1213 April

2003.Datuk C. L. Chan presenting a certificate to Mr Adrian Lok in appreciation for

his assistance in arranging the Societys trip to Tanjung Simpang Mengayau.


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TALKS

Spiders!

Dr s Peter Koomen

Shangri-Las Tanjung Aru ResortKota Kinabalu

Wednesday, 5 March 2003

Many people are afraid of spiders. They are among the

top ten of most scary animals. They are regarded as

the utter creepy crawlies. Are these feelings right?

Most people with arachnophobia have hardly any knowledge of

the subject matter of their fears. A little more interest in spiders

reveals fascinating animals, in many ways comparable to us.

Except for deep thinking, spiders can do almost everything

we do. Spiders only do it in a different way, like eating by

throwing up and slurping, digesting partly in the legs, breathing

through the belly, defecating below the skin, and living among

silk. To detect insect prey, spiders have eight eyes, eight nostrils

and many hairs functioning as organs for touch, taste, and

hearing. Seen under a scanning electron microscope they look

very fanciful. Furthermore, spiders use an enormous diversity

of tactics to trap insects or to take them by surprise. Looking

open-mindedly at spiders easily results in being lost in

amazement.

Why do spiders need all these amazing features? Answer:

to make more spiders. Spiders do IT too, but in an even more

complicated way than we do. Male spiders have special mating

organs on their mouthparts to suck up their own sperm. This has

to be transferred to a female, an event to die for. A proposingmale spider runs the risk of being regarded as prey by his

beloved. Fortunately male spiders know many ways to avoid

too hasty consumption; many of their strategies seem amazingly

human. Some males strum a love song, dance a tango, or offer

a present. Others put the female in a hold or tie her up. You

name it, spiders do it, and obviously with a lot of success.

Conservation & Sabahs Land Law:

The Legal Perspective

Mr James Lam

Shangri-Las Tanjung Aru Resort

Kota Kinabalu

Thursday, 3 April 2003

The speaker started with a brief introduction to the various

classes of land titles in SabahCountry Lease (CL),

Town Lease (TL), Native Title (NT), Field Register (FR)

and Provisional Lease (PL).

He then spoke about a controversial aspect of land law in

Sabah relating to native titles. All transactions of native land

between natives and non-natives are null and void. Only natives

can own native land. The definition of a native is given in

section 2 of the Interpretation of Natives Ordinance (Sabah Cap.

64). Included in this definition are not only those who are

readily accepted as natives, but also any person who is

ordinarily resident in Sabah, is a member of a people indigenous

to Indonesia or the Sulu group of islands in the Philippines and

has lived as a member of the native community for a continuous

period of five years.

The subject of land conservation was addressed in terms of

cases in recent years where rights to seafront land have been

taken away even though such property had been gazetted by

previous governments as conservation areas. The speaker

reminded the audience that gazetted areas can be degazetted by

any later government.

Thus societies like The Sabah Society can play animportant role in educating the public on such matters so that

the people are well informed about affairs of the protection and

conservation of our land and environment in the state of Sabah.

MARCHAPRIL2003

President of the Sabah Society, Datuk C. L. Chan, presenting a

certificate of appreciation and a copy of thePocket Guide to the Birds

of Borneo to Drs Peter Koomen from the Netherlands, who gave two

very interesting talks to the society members: Spiders! and The

Leiden Natural History Museum Naturalis.

Vice President of The Sabah Society, Dr Heng Aik Cheng, presenting a

certificate of appreciation to speaker Mr James Lam, lawyer and author

of An Introduction to Sabah Land Law.


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A Study of the Sama Dilaut in

Sulu Island: A Comparison with

the Semporna Bajau Laut

Wilfredo M. Torres III

Shangri-Las Tanjung Aru ResortKota Kinabalu

Wednesday, 9 April 2003

This paper touches on the way of life of the Sama dilaut of

the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines and briefly

compares it with the life of the Bajau Laut in Semporna,

Sabah, Malaysia.

The Sama dilaut (sea-oriented Sama), or more popularly

known in Malaysia as Bajau Laut (sea Bajau), belong to a wider

sea-nomadic boat culture found throughout Southeast Asia.

They are typically subsistence fishermen and aquatic foragers.

In the Philippines, most of them reside near islands and coastal

areas throughout Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Mindanao Island. Ininsular Malaysia, congeries of them can be found along the

eastern coasts of Sabah, most especially among the various

islands in the Semporna District. In Sulu society, the Sama

dilaut are generally perceived to occupy a lower social standing

compared to their more sedentary neighbours.

The first part of the paper presented a study conducted

earlier among the Sama dilaut of Kabuukan island in Sulu

province, the Philippines. It described the way of life of the

Sama dilaut from the analytical perspective of household

adaptive strategies, gender relations, and sea tenurial status. The

study also examined the changes occurring within Sama dilaut

communities as families reconstitute themselves to the nature

and demands of new technology and to the effects of

external/global forces.

The study in Sulu has revealed that Kabuukan island and

the waters within its vicinity are considered as ancestral waters

by the Sama dilaut who reside there. The Sama in this area have

an intimate knowledge of their sea territories. And their intimate

knowledge of their areas is inseparably linked to their

livelihood, to the interplay of their various survival strategies,

and to their way of life. Within this web of survival strategies,

it was also shown that women, and their work, play a vital role

in the survival of the Sama household.

The paper also discussed the changes that have occurred as

a result of the emergence of new technology like seaweedfarming. While seaweed farming presents an opportunity for the

Sama to emancipate themselves from poverty and from

previously held misconceptions that debilitate them as a people,

this new technology is also a doubled-edged sword. The advent

of seaweed farming has changed the Samas perception of their

traditional sea spaces, and changed the labour relations within

their community. Previous indigenous institutions that regulated

their access and use of sea spaces are rapidly being replaced by

new rules and regulations that suit the demands of seaweed

farming. The new activity also promoted the emergence of

seaweed farming-related wage labour and landlordtenant

relationships at sea. Seaweed farmings increasing popularity in

Sulu has also been marked by increasing resource competition

and ethnic violence, environmental degradation, and the gradual

displacement of the Sama dilaut by more aggressive

neighbours.

The final part of the paper touched on the comparison

between the Sama dilaut of Sulu and the Bajau Laut of Sabah.

The way of life of the Sama dilaut and the Bajau Laut is a

product of historical forces, as well as the forces within their

natural environment. The Sama dilaut and the Bajau Laut share

common historical ties. From precolonial to colonial times, they

played an important role in trade, inter-island communications,

as well as in the formation of early maritime states in the region.

However, their marine specialization has relegated them to the

margins of society.

In the Philippines, the Sama were always under the shadow

of a more dominant group. In Sabah, however, the absence of a

dominant group and strict law enforcement has allowed the

Bajau to become prominent and prosperous. In the Philppines,despite the presence of formal government systems, ineffective

law enforcement in the southern Philippines has forced the

Sama dilaut to depend on traditional patronclient relationships

for their livelihood and protection. As the Sama are chained to

a relationship of clientagecharacterized by injustices and

violencetheir general well-being has suffered. This situation,

and other factors like war, piracy, and the displacement caused

by seaweed farms, has forced the Sama to seek the safer fishing

grounds of Malaysia.


Hon. Treasurer of The Sabah Society, Mr Daniel Soo, presenting a

certificate of appreciation to speaker Mr Wilfredo M. Torres III, who

spoke about the Sama dilaut of Sulu and the Bajau Laut of Sabah.

Francis Liew, who addressed members on seawalkingthe latest

underwater viewing activitybeing thanked by the President of The

Sabah Society, Datuk C. L. Chan.


5/12

Malaysias strict law enforcement has maintained order and

created a conducive environment for the Sama. The country has

successfully controlled piracy and the proliferation of firearms.

The Sama dilaut find the Malaysian seas safer areas to fish in,

and the markets are fair. In Malaysia, the bonds of clientage that

have chained the Sama for so long are broken. And this has

allowed Sama dilaut to thrive and prosper here.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park

Sea Walking

Francis Liew


Kota Kinabalu

Wednesday, 16 April 2003

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, which lies 38 km off Kota

Kinabalu, is made up of five islands surrounded by coral

reefs. The park covers a total area of 4,924 hectares, ofwhich two-thirds is sea. The five islands are Gaya, Manukan,

Mamutik, Sapi and Sulug. The unspoilt natural environment

and clear water teeming with fascinating marine life, plus its

close proximity to the city, make the park a very popular

destination with picnickers, nature lovers and divers. When the

park was gazetted in 1974, it only covered the major part of

Gaya and Sapi (3,638 hectares). In 1979, the government

acquired the other three islands, which were previously

privately owned.

Pulau Gaya, the largest island (3,665 hectares), derives its

name from the Bajau word gayo(big). Ridges 6001,000 feet

high form the islands backbone. It has 16 miles of shoreline

with beaches, mudflats, mangroves and sandstone cliffs. The

major beach is Police Beach, a quarter-mile of fine white sand.

The coral reefs along the entire coast are in excellent condition.

Pulau Sapi has one of the nicest beaches in the park. Its

clean white sand and crystal clear water plus the coral reefs

fringing the shoreline make it ideal for swimming, snorkelling

and diving. Day-use facilities include a jetty, picnic shelters,

barbecue pits, picnic tables, changing rooms and toilets.

Pulau Manukan, a 51-acre boomerang-shaped island, is the

parks second largest island and the most developed. There is a

trail system around the island and 20 chalets, a clubhouse,

restaurant, souvenir and diving centres as well as recreational

facilities such as a swimming pool, football field, tennis court.Pulau Mamutik is the smallest of the five islands. Borneo

Divers operates a dive school on the island. Day-use facilities

include changing rooms, toilets, picnic shelters, and barbecue.

Pulau Sulug. This 20-acre island is the furthest from the

city, and is relatively undeveloped. This island is popular with

foreign visitors who prefer the quiet, wilderness atmosphere.

Good reef patches lie on the southern end of the island.

Changing rooms, toilets, picnic shelters and tables are provided.

Seawalking: In 2002, the Sabah Parks wholly-owned

subsidiary company, Sabapak Eco-Holdings Snd Bhd, and Club

WAT, a Korean company, set up a joint-venture company,

Borneo Seawalking Sdn Bhd to operate a new underwater

viewing activityseawalking.

This activity, the first of its kind in Malaysia, is based near

Sabah Parks Base Camp Jetty on Pulau Gaya. With the aid of

Sea Trek underwater helmet diving system, non-swimmers and

non-divers are able to experience and explore the wonderful

underwater world without even getting their hair wet.

There are no oxygen tanks or complicated equipment and

the activity is very safe and easy, with no training required. Theunderwater trail is about 1520 metres descent from the

pontoon boat and the distance covered is about 50 metres.The

walk takes 2030 minutes to complete. While in the water,

seawalkers are guided by a fixed rail so that they do not step on

the corals. Two helpers and a diver are always with the walkers

while in the water and the diver points out interesting marine

life throughout the duration of the walk.

FIELD TRIPS

Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, Kudat1516 March 2003

by Balvinder Kaur Kler

In true tradition of the Sabah Society, members set out for a

special weekend to pay homage to The Tip of Borneo or

Tanjung Simpang Mengayau.

The first group of 14 members led by Assistant Team

Leader Adrian Lok gathered at the Sabah Society office and left

in a 4-wheel drive convoy by 8:30 am headed out towards Kota

Belud. With the new road, Kota Belud is literally around the

corner, perfect for our brief breakfast stopover. We got back

onto the road and arrived shortly at a well signposted T-

junction. If you turn left, you will reach Matunggong 29

kilometres away and Kudat 70 kilometres away. Turn right and

you will head out towards Kota Marudu. So all you do is turn

left and follow the road and signposts. No excuses accepted for

getting lost on the way to Kudat!

Somewhere down this portion of the journey, you will see

a beautiful visual of Marudu Bay on the right. Our convoy had

the pleasure of a few more stopovers which made our journey

all that more educational. We arrived in the sub-district of

Matunggong where designated villages are involved in the One

Village-One Industry initiative. We passed Kg. Gombizau

The HoneyBee Farm and shortly after, we stopped at Kampung

Sumangkapknown for its Gong Making and we also stoppedat Kampung Bavanggazo, where you can learn more about the

Rungus people and their lifestyle and traditions. And most

importantly, purchase those beautiful beads and handicraft at

local prices!

After yet another stopover for lunch in the township of

Sikuati, we got back onto the main road and soon come upon the

Blue Sign. You cant miss itfollow the arrows on the Blue

sign and you will make your way towards either Sunjamal

Resort or The Tip of Borneo. So, here begins the final stretch of

our journey with no more stopovers planned. There were

coconut plantations and small villages on either side. We are a

convoy of five vehicles and the lead vehicle arrives at a junction

with another Blue signpost and waits for the others to catch up.

MARCHAPRIL2003


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Minutes go by, no vehicles follow and so the lead vehicle turns

to go back up the road to discover our compatriots fixing a flat

tyre. Okay, half an hour stopover, unexpectedly! So what are the

odds of having a second flat tyre? Perhaps it had something to

do with our stopover theme but as we turned into that final

stretch, yet another vehicle had a flat! Here, the benefits of

travelling in convoy come forth and perhaps walkie-talkies need

to be used for trips in the future as mobile phone networks were

unavailable.

Finally, we arrived at our destination through Kampung

Kalampunian Laut to a secluded corner of Sabah where the

white soft sand and the layered azure shades of the sea reach out

to welcome you to the northern Tip of Borneo.

As you drive up towards the highest point, the Malaysian

flag fluttering in the wind greets you. This flagpost was set up

in conjunction with National Day celebrations last year, which

at State-level were held in Kudat. You stand here and take in the

magnificent and glorious view of being at the Tip of Borneo.

We wished there was a sign that stated Welcome! You are Now

Standing at the Northern Tip of Borneo. To the right, you see

the lighthouse on Pulau Kalampunian and further out on thehorizon is Pulau Balambangan. In fact, it is possible to walk

down to the actual tip, which is made up of an interesting array

of rock formations you learnt about in Geography lessons at

school. Stand at the very tip and have your photo taken but be

careful not to be swept away by the waves!

We drove back down to set up our campsite at the

beachfront. At this point, the second convoy arrived with Team

Leader, Dr Heng Aik Cheng. This group consisted mainly of

families with children (eight) and even a cute little dog! It was

3:30 pm on a fresh, breezy, haze-free Saturday afternoon with

the sun shining brightly. In total, 39 members of the Sabah

Society had arrived for the weekend camping trip at Tanjung

Simpang Mengayau.

Tents of all shapes and sizes were set up whilst some of the

members went swimming as others started gathering driftwood

for the campfire. Luckily, there were no sandflies or mosquitoes

during our visit. The District Officer of Kudat, Mr. Sebastian

Lim had kindly arranged for Sabah Society members to use the

toilet and shower facilities at the Police Outpost which was

within walking distance of our campsite.

The moon (almost full) was already out in the evening sky

as the sun began a two-and-a-half-minute descent into the

horizon. Some members were back at the Tip to watch the

sunset while the rest stayed at the campsite. Many a poet has

written about the sunset. Take our word for it, it was beautiful

to watch the sunset, here at the Tip of Borneo. After a barbecue

dinner, members continued to chat into the wee hours of the

night. Tanjung Simpang Mengayau is a suitable place for

stargazing as there is no light pollution and we could clearly see

the constellations of Orion and the Southern Cross. In fact,

some of our members decided to sleep out under the stars!

Here is a wonderful opportunity to develop this site as a

camping ground. Visitors would pay a fee for utilising the

campsite which would have basic facilities including toilets,showers and garbage disposal but accommodation would

remain on a bring your own tent basis. This would promote

domestic tourism and encourage more locals to visit the Great

Outdoors of Borneo.

Earlybirds the next morning caught a glimpse of the new

day dawning upon the island of Borneo. After breakfast the next

morning, everyone started to pack up their tents and rubbish

was taken home. Some of us went back up to the Tip for more

photo-taking. Our camping trip to Tanjung Simpang Mengayau

had come to an end. For most of us, this had been our first trip

out to the Tip of Borneo and it had been worth every instant.


Some of the intrepid members of The Sabah Society on the first camping trip to Sabahs latest tourist attraction, Tanjung Simpang Mengayau,

the most northerly point of Borneo. While most favoured tents, others opted to sleep on the beach as it was a balmy night.


7/12

Instants

by Jorge Lui s Borges

If I could live again my life,In the next Ill try,

to make more mistakes,

I wont try to be so perfect,

Ill be more relaxed,

Ill be more full than I am now,

In fact, Ill take fewer things seriously,

Ill be less hygienic,

Ill take more risks,

Ill take more trips,

Ill watch more sunsets,

Ill climb more mountains,

Ill swim more rivers,

Ill go to more places Ive never been,Ill eat more ice creams and less (lime) beans,

Ill have more real problems

and less imaginary ones,

I was one of those people who live

prudent and prolific lives

each minute of his life,

Of course that I had moments of joy but,

if I could go back Ill try to have only good moments,

If you dont know thats what life is made of,

Dont lose the now!

I was one of those who never goes anywhere

without a thermometer,without a hot-water bottle,

and without an umbrella and without a parachute,

If I could live again I will travel light,

If I could live again Ill try to work bare feet

at the beginning of spring till

the end of autumn,

Ill ride more carts,

Ill watch more sunrises and play with more children,

If I have the life to live but now I am 85,

and I know that I am dying ...

Reference: The Garden of Jorge Louis Borges

http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/00/pwillen1/lit/index3.htm

Mantanani Island56 April 2003

by Aw Chak Teng

It was a crispy fresh morning as I arrived at Likas Square topick up Kay, and off to The Peak to pick up Christine

yes, the redoubtable Kiwi who missed Sabah so much that

she flew back (actually Kiwis dont fly, which made this even

more remarkable) at short noticeyep, thats one tough old bird

indeed. We caught up with the good ol times and expected

some new exciting times in the days journey ahead ...

As expected, we arrived first at Kota Belud (because I was

the trip leader, and also the trip writer, which is not necessarily

the best combination). As soon as we left our still-warm

empty cups at the local stall, we spotted Makii-san (Hajime) and

his fine family trooping towards us (Yorika, Miyoko, Azusa,

Takashi, and little Midori). From the other end marched Ogami-

san (Ken), Yoko, Momoka, and little Haruto. Soon, all arrived,except the very important little red carBalsthe one bearing

our gracious hostess for the next two daysGillian (Gilly)

Elliot. We were waiting on the other side of the grandstand.

So, off we set again. We took a wrong turning, but saw the

magnificent countryside of Kota Belud basking in the morning

light. (We were on holiday, werent we?) Finally, we arrived at

the jetty. After an hour of bumpy boat ride, I woke up in time to

vaguely make out an island resembling Costa Rica* (as in

Jurassic Park, Yikes!!) Here we are, beamed Gillian,

welcome to Gillys Island*! (as in Gilligans Island*).

*The correct answer is Mantanani Besar

First things should always come first. As soon as we

dropped our bags, we took photos, plenty of them. With thatheavy duty out of the way, we relaxed instantly with ice-cooled

lemon tea and hot-fried Malaysian pisang goreng. With light

refreshments tucked away, we got our room keys, but not before

we each signed our own d warrant i.e. have warrant will

dive, still at your own risk.

No diving that morningthe first (group) dive was

scheduled for the afternoon, the second (group) dive for the next

morning because there was not enough gear for everybody.

Strangely, I saw Prem (his Chinese friends called him Ah

Peng?!) and a few other divers were actually smilingbecause

they brought their own gear, and so, have gear will dive, at will,

but this time at the risk of your own gear.

This was pretty much free activity time now. Presently,

Peng (I meant Prem) and I hopped into a kayak and decided to

test our kayaking skills by paddling to Lingisan Island (about

12 km away?). First, left and right; then, right and leftand

we were going nowhere. Soon, left-left, right-rightand we

were puffing hard, finally going somewherebut not where we

wanted to goright towards the open sea! Ah sodirection

was as important as effort!! But still we were beaten to the

island by Min-cheong and company. We had short chats and

long rests in between. Revenge was sweet on the return, as we

paddled right up the shore, beating all comers.

Lunch came and divers went. The certified ones, that is.

The discoverers(good namesounds liked adventurers), we

MARCHAPRIL2003

Caught in the early morning sunlight, the camping site of the intrepid

members of The Sabah Society on the first-ever society trip to the Tip

of Borneo, Tanjung Simpang Mengayau.
http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/00/pwillen1/lit/index3.htmhttp://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/00/pwillen1/lit/index3.htm


8/12

were called, because we were about to discover what scuba

diving is (or, is not) all about, after (or, if) the certified ones

returned. There was only one sensible thing to do nowget

prepared for the discoveryby taking a good nap...

The turn of the discoverers finally came and we truly

braved it. First, putting on the gear itself was half the joy (or

pain, depending on how you put it on!). Second, walking

upright with it would strengthen your back (or kill you,

depending how you walk!). Thirdly, breathing with the mask on

was a piece of cake and a breeze of fresh air (or trying very

hard to strike an easy balance between not swallowing the

whole mouth-piece and not spitting it out; between focusing on

hearing your own stereophonic breathing and on looking at the

scenic surroundings; and the fine distinction between subtle

underwater language and a real frantic sign for help). All said,

we truly enjoyed the discovery experiencewe saw the

biggest giant clams to the smallest sea slugs; and we

experienced the delicate combinational art of buoyancy,

propulsion, and balancein short, we swam like a fish. The

only disappointment was no sighting of the other fish (actually

a mammal)the elusive dugong or the legendary mermaid.But, thats another story.

More free activities followedkayaking, snorkelling,

swimming, or just plain lazing around gazing at the magnificent

sunset Wondering what people here do for a living? Presently

some sweet musica toxicating fusion of light metallic and

heavy primpingcaught my seawater-filled ears, and I strolled

across to the shed. A compressor was filling rows of diving-air

cylinders; and a young man was strumming a guitar, humming

softly to himself. There I found a simple lesson in economics

and philosophythe air was free (and fresh), and the man was

happy (and contented).

After dinner, more lazing around And some excitement

stirred when Hori produced a bottle of vintage wine from

somewhere. After intense interrogation he confessed to

sneaking off during the days dive to retrieve the bottle from a

sunken ship (which I immediately named Horis wreck, a little

beyond Gillys wall). Nobody gave a hoot, though, about the

sunken loot, when we shared in the drinkingto Horis health,

of course! (May he sneak off often and returned heavily laden.)

Next morning (I kicked myself for missing the early bird-

call), the morning divers were ready and gone. This time I

teamed up with Rina and Lily for a three-person kayaking tag-

team. We were confident of emerging as champions (there were

no other kayaking team around). Perhaps we were a little over-

confidentwe were thrown overboard even before we started!

(But, as I was saying, no other team saw us do that.) Soon the

divers resurfaced, the snorkellers surfaced, and the kayakers

returned in triumph, with their oars up in the air!

After an early lunch, it was time to say goodbye to Gilly

and her island in the sun (and the clams, corals and sea-slugs

under the water). Was it a good trip? Lets just say that I, and

also others, are still searching for the elusive dugong (actually I

did the next best thing-I bought a dugong T-shirt !), and looking

forward to hear the haunting song of the mermaid.

Mount Kinabalu Climb 20031820 April 2003

by Dr Ravi M andalam

Sabah Society organized for its members, the first climb up

Mt Kinabalu in its 40-years history. The climb was

ostensibly for first-timers, the not-so-fit and the totally

unfit members. Twenty-eight Society members (including

family members) signed up for the three-day event.


Pictured on the beach at Mantanani Resort are members on the third Sabah Society trip to the resort. No dugongs were sighted, but there were

plenty of activities for everyone. The energetic dived, snorkelled and kayaked, while the lazy (and the children) swam and walked.


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An overcast sky greeted us on Good Friday, as the members

arrived in several batches at the Kinabalu Park for the overnight

stay at the cabins. Our Datuk President warmly greeted the

members and, in a brief address to them, stressed the historic

nature of the climb from the Societys viewpoint. Dr Ho Tze

Hok was designated as the de facto leader of the team. Upon our

Presidents request I briefed the climbers on the dos and dontsof the climb, particularly since there were a significant number

of first-timers. I need not have worried; the performance of the

entire team surprised me the next day! After an early supper

everyone retired to bed, to be up in the morning for the climb.

I woke up the next morning to the melodious whistling of

Cat Stevens Morning has broken by one of our members. The

mystery musician, I learnt later, was none other than our Dr Ho!

What a lovely song!! And rightly enough, as I stepped out of the

cabin, it was the sweetness of the wet garden that greeted me,

with Kinabalu looming majestically in the background.

After a quick breakfast, all the Society climbers assembled

at the Park Office to receive their tags and engage porters to

carry their luggage up to Laban Rata. The Park Office presenteda cheerful state of kelam kabut, with jostling parties of climbers

clamouring for porters, guides, tags and transport to the

Timpohon Gate. Our designated guides were nowhere to be

seen, and I was getting increasingly anxious about this delay!

One of the senior guides, Saupinggi, helped me trace them to

the waiting room behind the office. Four guides, Messrs Simpat,

Sayun, Patrick and Ronnie, were to accompany us up the

Mountain. The other formalities were sorted out by 8:30 am and

we were ready for our departure to Timpohon Gate.

About this time, Dr Heng, our Vice President, just back

from a medical mission to evacuate two injured Malaysian

doctors from war-torn Iraq, drove in from KK to join the party.

His arrival was greeted by expressions of great delight by manymembers. I must admit I too was overjoyed and relieved to have

him back aboard for his medical expertise.

Upon arrival at the Timpohon Gate, we had a brief photo

session. Datuk Chan flagged off the team at 9 am. We split into

smaller batches, the quicker ones forged ahead while the slower

ones took their own time to scale the mountain at a leisurely

pace. Ben Chai had already made his intention clearhe was

not intending to go beyond Layang Layang, where he planned

to celebrate his birthday at the staff quarters. He had stocked upwith eight packets of cup-noodles and was determined to spend

the night there. The rest of us soldiered on to our destination

Laban Rata Rest House at 11,000 feet. I brought up the rear,

together with Dr Ho and Shaji. While Dr Hengs elder son

Tseng Hui raced up to reach Laban Rata by 11:30 am, we the

rearguard took 6 hours to finally arrive at 3 pm. The weather

was pleasant throughout the day except for a heavy, but brief,

downpour at 1 pm. However, the sky was overcast until 5pm,

when the clouds parted to allow us occasional glimpses of the

rocky summit and its soaring peaks, glinting in the twilight.

Inside the Rest House, our teammates spent their time

chatting and joking as they sipped endless cups of coffee and

tea. The ladies in particular, Chui Chui, Aisah, Grace, Christina,Lisa, Balvinder, Catherine, Christine, Rina and Mrs Tai, looked

fit and cheerful and none the worse for their exertions. The

Wong family, father and four children, seemed to be the most

relaxed of all. And yet, despite all the carefree banter, there was

some anxiety and tension in the air about the next days climb

to the summit. Lisa managed to contact birthday boy Ben and

find that he had reached Layang Layang staff quarters safely. I

spent the evening watching the sunset. Shaji had carried a load

of books published by the Sabah Society all the way up to

Laban Rata. Dr Ho, on behalf of the Society, donated the books

to the caretaker of Laban Rata Rest House for the reading

pleasure of future climbers.

The team was up early next morning at the unearthly hourof 1 am. Many confessed to not having slept a wink throughout

the night. After a quick breakfast we were off at 2:30 am, with

MARCHAPRIL2003

Sabah Society Boleh! This was proven without a doubt when all members (only a few are shown here) on the first Sabah Society climb of Mount

Kinabalu reached the summit. A remarkable achievement, as the trip was aimed at the old (children are old??) and the unfit.


10/12

two guides leading the way and two others bringing up the rear.

We all made good time and reached the ropes at the Sayat Sayat

rock face by 4:30 am. Once again, Chui Chui and the Heng boys

were far ahead, with the Jamiesons, Christine, Balvinder, Lisa

and the Wong family following them. Paul, suffering from

mountain sickness, briefly toyed with the idea of stopping at

Sayat Sayat, before gamely deciding to follow us to the summit.

Grace, Christina, Mrs. Tai, Aisah and Gulam, all showing signs

of exhaustion, nevertheless kept on climbing, with grit and

determination. The atmosphere at 13000 feet has only 50%

oxygen compared to sea level. The slightest exertion on even a

gentle slope is enough to make one breathless and exhausted.

Mark, Dr Ho, Dr Heng and I were at the rear to ensure that no

one was left behind.We gradually went past the South Peak and St Johns Peak

on our left and Tunku Abdul Rahman Peak, Donkeys Ears and

Ugly Sisters Peak on our right, the last ones from our team

eventually arriving at the foot of Lows Peak by 7:30 am. By

then, the Jamiesons, Christine and the Wongs decided to come

down from the summit. The last few hundred feet are invariably

daunting for the first-timers, as one is confronted by the narrow

crevices and steep boulders on the way up to the top of the peak.

Gulam and Mark preferred to stop just below the summit. All

the rest made it to the top.

From the top the entire west coast was visible, including

Pulau Gaya and the other islands off the coast at KK. To the

north, Tambuyukon loomed, beyond the North Peak of

Kinabalu. The twin peaks of Mentapok and Menkobo were seen

to our east, jutting above a sea of clouds. Southwards, far on the

horizon, the long Trusmadi range and its peak could be seen, the

second highest mountain in Malaysia. Just in front of us was the

immense chasm of Lows Gully.

After duly recording our climb with a brief photo session,

our party descended. Some of us made our way to the Sacrifice

Pool for some prayers of thanksgiving to the mountain deity, in

true native tradition. Thereafter started the painful descent back

to Laban Rata and finally down to Timpohon Gate.

Thus ended Sabah Societys historic climb up Mt Kinabalu.

Enduring images of the climb will remain etched in my memory

foreverthe sheer will and determination shown to reach the

target, particularly by Grace, Aisah, Gulam, Christina and MrsTai, the wonderful team spirit displayed by one and all (there

was no bickering whatsoeverunusual for such a large party),

Hengs cheerful face as he dashed up to the Park at the last

minute to join us, the quiet gentle demeanour of the Jamiesons,

the Tais and the Wongs and the cheerful company of my

younger friends Shaji, Mark and Paul Chin. And yet the most

lingering memory of all, the tuneful morning call by Dr Ho:

Morning has broken, like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken like the first bird

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning

Praise for the springing, fresh from the word

Sabah Society Boleh!!!!


After the climb from Timpohon Gate. it was time for members of The Sabah Society to relax at the Laban Rata Rest House and forget their

anxieties about the following days ascent to the summit of Mount Kinabalu.


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FORUM

Gaya Street: The Future


Kota KinabaluWednesday, 19 March 2003

CHAIRMAN: Dr Richard Barrow

SPEAKERS: Datuk Hiew Thien Choi

(Director-General of DBKK 20002002)

Datuk Ambrose Lee

(Lawyer, Executive Adviser to Sugar Bun and

entrepreneur)

Datuk Yong Teck Lee

(Lawyer, President of SAPP, former State

Assemblyman & MP for Gaya constituency,

former Sabah Chief Minister)

Dr Chua Kim Heng (present Director-General

of DBKK)

The controversial plan to convert Gaya Street in the heart of

Kota Kinabalu into a pedestrian mall was the subject of a very

well-attended public forum organized by The Sabah Society.

The four speakers were chosen for their close association, in

various ways, with the now-abandoned scheme. The forum

ended in a lively question and answer session during which

members of the audience with varied interests in the area voiced

their opinion of the scheme and its cancellation. Perhaps the

only disappointment was the lack of attendance by Gaya Street

stakeholders (only three attended the forum) despite thedistribution of leaflets to notify them of the forum.

Datuk Hiew Thien Choi, former director-general of DBKK

explained the original concept of the project. It was part of a

much larger plan to revitalize the central business district. Five

meetings had been held with stakeholders prior to the

implementation of the plan, but attendance was very poor. He

admitted that the masterplan had flaws, but with changes it

could still proceed. The private sector could take over some

components of the plan.

The present DBKK director-general, Dr Chua Kim Heng,

who showed numerous photos of Gaya Street before, during andafter the project, said that the plans for Gaya Street could be

revived, if the public wants it. Without change the street is likely

to become a slum like Sinsuran Complex. He feels that the

future of the street is in the hands of the people of the city.

Yong Teck Lee, MP and Assemblyman at the time of the

project, who also has his office on Gaya Street, felt that though

the pedestrian mall was a good idea, not all the stakeholders in

the area had been consulted on the planned changes. Their input

to the plan, he felt, was vital to the success of the project.

Ambrose Lee spoke about the Sugar Bun development near

Gaya Street. Although complaints were received about noise

and rubbish during the construction period, the area has now

been totally transformed, the numerous plants giving a forestfeel to the development. Lee pointed out that Jalan Jati did not

belong to Sugar Bun; the company had a ten-year lease on the

street for which it was paying rent. He would like to see the

whole of Gaya Street closed and covered, to provide shelter

from sun and rain.

Chairman Dr Richard Barrow would like to see Gaya Street

developed as an eating-out area for both local families and

tourists. But a pleasant and healthy atmosphere can only be

achieved if the road is closed to all traffic. DBKK could perhaps

offer incentives to suitable businesses to move to the area.

One of the many questions and comments from the floor

was that while a great deal of money was spent on the

development of Gaya Street, nothing was being done to cleanup the filthy back lanes behind it. A case of priorities gone

awry?

All in all, a very successful event. Lets hope the next

forumon Likas Baywill be equally lively.

MARCHAPRIL2003

Chairman Dr Richard Barrow (centre) with the four speakers (left to right)Datuk Hiew Thien Choi, Datuk Yong Teck Lee, Datuk Ambrose

Lee and Dr Chua Kim Hengat the Public Forum on Gaya Street: The Future organized by The Sabah Society.


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Sabah Society Committee Members for 2003/2004 (left to right): Dr Ho Tze Hok, Mr Albert Teo, Mr Daniel Soo (Hon Treasurer), Dr Richard

Barrow, Datuk Chan Chew Lun (President), Dr Heng Aik Cheng (Vice President), Puan Zahra Yaacob (Hon Secretary), Dr Geoffrey Davison

(Hon Editor (Journal)), Mr Wallace Welliam Tan and Dr Ravi Mandalam.

E Newsletter 71

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