Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Kapit Fest 2002 (pictures sourced from www.kapit.net)

Speed Boat race
Spirit of Sportmanship
Kapit Fest Queen 2002
Tough Guys
Music Group (Taboh)
Orang Ulu


Iban parade

Go East (life is peaceful there)

29 Sep 08 : 9.00AM
By Sim Kwang Yang

DATUK Seri Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, a member of the Sarawak state cabinet and right-hand man of Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, recently proclaimed that the proposed Race Relations Act is not needed in Sarawak. I agree wholeheartedly.
This is another unique thing about Sarawakians: we can agree on many things across race and party lines, especially when it comes to the relations between the state and the federal government. We are united by this common self-identification as fellow anak Sarawak.
The proposed Race Relations Act is not needed in Sarawak because race relations there have always been exemplary in Malaysia since Independence (in 1963). I would even boldly predict that the sort of race riots that broke out in Kuala Lumpur in 1969 will never happen in the Land of the Hornbill.
Of course there are bigoted, racist, and xenophobic Sarawakians among us; you get these oddballs in every society. But unlike in West Malaysia, they can never find a viable platform in Sarawak's political, social, and cultural life.
The ethnic composition of the population probably has something to do with this harmonious state of affairs. The Malays and Muslim Melanaus constitute only a quarter of the state's total population; the Chinese roughly the same percentage; while the rest of the population is made up of about 26 non-Muslim indigenous communities collectively referred to as "Dayaks".
The backbone of the Sarawak Barisan Nasional, the Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu Sarawak (PBB), has a Malay/Muslim arm and a Dayak arm, and no PBB leader would even dream of raising the keris in the party's general assembly. It would be in bad taste in the first degree.
Logo of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu Sarawak, the backbone of the Sarawak BNThe Malays of Sarawak are devout Muslims, but the sort of radical Islamic fervour that has gripped West Malaysia since the 1970s has never found fertile soil in Sarawak. PAS has made a few tentative incursions into state politics there over the past decades, but takers are few and far between.
The Sarawak Malays have certainly evolved along different historical and social routes from their brethren elsewhere. They even speak a dialect that is as comprehensible to West Malaysians as Greek.
As in Sabah, 30% of the marriages in Sarawak every year cross racial borders. I was once married to an Iban lady. Rare are the Sarawakians who cannot speak quite a few languages fluently. I myself speak Iban.
Sarawak has been spared the sort of racial segregation that has plagued peninsular Malaysia for half a century. Sarawakians who do not have personal friends and business associates from a few other ethnic communities are the exception rather than the norm. Some of my best friends are Malays and Dayaks.
Apart from visiting one another during festive occasions, Sarawakians of various races have no problems having a meal or a drink together at the coffee shop, accompanied by very lively and friendly conversation. Such a scenario is rare in peninsular Malaysia.
As in Sabah, the social ambience in Sarawak feels like a different universe from that in the Klang Valley. By and large, Sarawakians have a long tradition of trusting, open, and convivial hospitality.
Cultural shock The Sarawak dialect of Malay can be as incomprehensible as Greek to the peninsular Malays
Polluted by the scourge of communal politics at the national level, party politics in Sarawak also tends to be tinged with racial undertones. Nevertheless, Sarawakian politicians have by and large shown great statesperson-like restraint in their public discourse. Public racial bloodletting would not go down well at all in a state where the people celebrate their ethnic differences, rather than create tension or even hatred out of them.
But whenever East and West meet, there is bound to be cultural shock.
It is quite common for West Malaysian government officials or businesspersons who have moved to Sarawak for work to fall in love with the local way of life. More than a few have decided to settle down in their new-found homeland.
On the other hand, short-term visitors from West Malaysia stick out like a sore thumb in Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, and Miri. They are far too aggressive for meek Sarawakians. Their speech, their mannerisms, and their swagger are all so foreign.
Sarawakians of all races call these visitors "orang Malaya", and the term is not meant to be complimentary.
You say "lipas", I say "lipih" (© Made Wirawan / sxc.hu)The suspicion for and the dislike of orang Malaya of various races seems to have united a large swathe of the population in Sarawak. The local Malays there call the Malay soldiers posted to Sarawak from West Malaysia "lipih".
In the Sarawak Malay dialect, a "lipih" is a cockroach. Needless to say, these soldiers have had some volatile problems with the local population, especially with the local Malays.
So now the federal government is thinking of introducing a Race Relations Act, purportedly to improve race relations in Malaysia. I truly doubt if this piece of legislation will work, after the people in West Malaysia have been torn apart by race-based parties for half a century.
I could suggest to the federal leaders that to improve race relations, they must learn from Sarawak. But then, they never will, because they tend to look down on my far-flung state as provincial and backward in all things. Certainly, federal ministers very seldom visit Sarawak.
Then again, it is not a bad thing that these orang Malaya perceive a visit to Sarawak as a necessary evil — to be avoided if possible. At least congenial, convivial Sarawak can be spared the sort racist poison that is fast gripping the national consciousness.
In order for Sarawak to remain an oasis of racial harmony, Sarawakians may have to keep it a secret.

Sarawak Rangers







Sarawak Rangers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sarawak Rangers were a para-military force founded in 1872 by the second Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Anthony Johnson Brooke. They evolved from the fortmen which were raised to defend Kuching in 1846. The Sarawak Rangers were commanded by a former British Army Officer, Sir William Henry Rodway, and were highly skilled in jungle warfare and general policing duties, being equipped with various western rifles, cannons and native weaponry.
They were based in a number of forts constructed at strategic locations in towns and riverheads. Aside from protecting Sarawak's borders, they were used to fight any rebels and were engaged in a number of campaigns during their history. In times of emergency or war, they could depend on the support of the local population and tribespeople.
The Sarawak Rangers were disbanded for a few years in the 1930's, only to be reformed and mobilised for the Second World War in which they attempted to defend Sarawak from Japanese invasion in 1942 at the start of the Pacific War. After the abdication of Charles Vyner Brooke in 1946, the Sarawak Rangers became a colonial unit under direct British control and saw action in both the Malayan Emergency and the Borneo Confrontation. In 1963, after the formation of Malaysia, the Sarawak Rangers became part of the Royal Ranger Regiment.


Ranger Badge
Ngajat Dance


As a gesture of friendship, a Malaysian 8th Royal Ranger Regiment officer presents a hand-made fish trap to US Marines Lt. Col. T. Armstrong, commanding officer, Landing Force, exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness And Training (LF CARAT).

Royal Ranger Regiment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Royal Ranger Regiment (Malay: Rejimen Renjer DiRaja; RRD) is an infantry regiment of the Malaysian Army. Although it is second in seniority to the Royal Malay Regiment (Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja; RAMD), the RRD can trace its origins back to the mid 19th century and the establishment of The Sarawak Rangers, the peacekeeping force in the Sarawak region. This force was absorbed by the Sarawak Constabulary in 1932, but the name was revived in 1941 as a British Colonial unit; this unit was captured by the Japanese in 1942.

History
In 1948, at the beginning of the Malayan Emergency, groups of Iban trackers were recruited to help in the defence against the Communist Party of Malaya. These Iban trackers were organized into a regimental formation as the Sarawak Rangers in 1953. Prior to 1963, the well known Iban Trackers of the Sarawak Rangers were attached as scout to many British forces serving in Malaya. One of the tracker, Awang anak Rawang was awarded George Cross on 20th Nov 1951, during his attachment at Worcestershire Regiment.
In 1963, following the formation of Malaysia on 16 September of that year, the unit was transferred from the British Colonial Forces to the new Malaysian Army and expanded into a multi-battalion, multi-ethnic regiment named Renjer Malaysia. This became the Rejimen Renjer in 1971, before being given the 'Royal' prefix and hence known as the Rejimen Renjer DiRaja (Royal Ranger Regiment) in 1992.

Present
The RRD is organized in the same way as the RAMD and currently consists of nine battalions,
The 1st to 6th, and the 9th are light infantry battalions.
The 7th Ranger Battalion is presently configured as a mechanized infantry battalion and is equipped with tracked ACV 300 IFVs, some of which are armed with Bushmaster 25 mm guns.
The 8th Ranger Battalion is one of the three airborne infantry battalions that form the 10 Para Brigade, the element of the Army's Pasukan Atur Cepat.

Colonel in Chief
DYMM Tuanku Syed Sirajudin Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, formerly the King or Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, and Raja of Perlis is the Colonel in Chief of the regiment. The previous head of the regiment is Leftenan Jeneral (B) Datuk Muhamad Effendi Mustafa. His last command was as the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1st Division HQ in Kuching.
Customs & Traditions

Hackle
Rejimen Renjer DiRaja is the only regiment or corps in the Malaysian Army that is authorized to wear the black hackle as part of their uniform. Also, unlike other units, the No.3 uniform (office duty) has black buttons and Gun Metal pips instead of the standard green buttons and pips of the Malaysian Army

A Ranger - A Special Malaysian Soldier
Unlike other units of the Malaysian Army, a private in the Rangers battalion is addressed as 'Ranger.' In the Rejimen Gerak Khas, a commando formation, a private is addressed as 'Trooper.' In the Royal Engineers Regiment, a private is known 'Sapper'. For the rest of the Malaysian Army, a private soldier is addressed as 'Private'.

Motto
The motto of the Ranger Regiment is "Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban." A direct translation, word for word from Iban to English is "Still Alive, Still Fight." In spirit,"Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban" means "Fight to the Death." It is conjured that the motto "Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban" was derived from Brooke family's Latin motto,"Dum Spiro Spero" which means "While I Breathe, I Hope." In this light, "Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban" could mean "While I Breathe, I fight." According to the journal of 1st Ranger Regiment, "Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban" was derived from the Brooke's family motto "Whilst There Is Life There Is Fight". Dum Spiro Spero was the state motto for the Kingdom of Sarawak. The Royal Ranger Regiment is the only corps of the Malaysian Armed Forces using this motto in the Iban language.
Sarawak Dayak, Pribumi Influence & Achievement
As an infantry regiment whose recruits are drawn from every race and pribumi (native) group of Malaysia, Rejimen Renjer Malaysia is rich with cultural heritage. The "Ngajat", the Iban Warrior Dance of the Sarawak Dayak community is now part of the regimental drill used to welcome visiting dignitaries. The adoption of this warrior dance as part of the regimental culture is due to the fact that this reincarnated unit of the Sarawak Rangers was once almost exclusively filled in the ranks by Iban soldiers.
Dunstan Nyaring Angking of 1 Renjer was the first native Iban officer to attain the rank of full colonel in the Malaysian army. He served with 1 Renjer during the Indonesian confrontation and was the ensign that received on behalf of his battalion, the battalion's Battle Truncheon.
Currently, Stephen Mundaw from Pakit, Sri Aman, Sarawak is the only known highest native Iban officer serving the Malaysian Army as full Colonel.
The other well known native Iban officers are Lt.Col.(R) Robert Rizal Abdullah @ Robert Madang PGB from Lachau, Sri Aman and Lt.Col.(R) James Tomlow ak Isa.
A known Malay officer from Sarawak to have commanded the Ranger regiment as Commanding Officer, was Lt. Col (R) Abang Hamdan Bin Abang Hadari.
Up until today, so far, no Ibans or any other Dayak ethnic have made it even to Brigadier General in the Malaysian Army, even though there were nine rangers battalions predominantly comprising the ethnic Dayaks as majority, and many recipients of the Malaysian gallantry awards (PGB and SP) are from ethnic Dayak soldiers. These were a common talks among the Dayak officers who joined the Rangers that they wish, some day, some of them will make it to '1 star general'.
Many retired as Majors and Captains, some make it to Lieutenant Colonel and rarely make it to full Colonel. Compare to her colleague, the British Army's Gurkha Regiments, they took more than hundred years for one of the current Gurkha's batallion to be commanded by a native Gurkha's own first Lieutenant Colonel.
In contrast, many Chinese and Indian officers who had served in the regiment have made it to '1 star' general.
Regardless of the situation, the Dayak officers and NCOs had previously and still continue to pledge their undivided loyalty to King and country and serving professionally at home and abroad. Still, many ethnic Dayaks who enlisted in the Malaysian Army, majoritily chose to join the regiment as their first choice. Loyalty to a country is non comparable to material wealth and value despite the ignorance of the government to appoint the first Dayak's as one star general.

Battalions of The Royal Malaysian Rangers (Rejimen Renjer DiRaja)

1st Rangers
Initially, this British Colonial battalion was almost exclusively composed of Sea Dayak (Iban) soldiers and a small number of Malay and Indian officers. On the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, the Sarawak Rangers was disbanded and absorbed into the Malaysian Armed Forces. The 1st Battalion is the premier battalion and remains the icon of the Ranger Corps. Prior to the formation of Malaysia in 1963, the Sarawak Rangers gained their fearsome reputation during the Malayan Emergency. Concurrently, during the post-colonial reconstruction era, the 1st Battalion fought on extensively against the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), Clandestine Communist Organization (CCO) the military arm of the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and its affiliate the Parti Rayat Kalimantan Utara (PARAKU) and the Tentera Nasional Indonesia (TNI). Accounts from captured Communist Terrorists (CTs) in the 60s and 70s suggest that other than the (British Royal Marines) commandos, the CPM feared the deployment of the 1st Battalion in the immediate vicinity.
The 1st Battalion remains an active unit of the Malaysian armed forces, although rather inexplicably, the recruitment of Iban stock has been gradually declined significantly over the last 20 years. Consequently, it's racial composition is about the same as other Malaysian infantry battalions.
It is worth noting that in the 50s and 60s, the British SAS were taught jungle tracking by Iban soldiers. The Ibans from the jungles of Borneo are particularly suited to jungle warfare. Surviving and living off the land are just daily routines to these jungle soldiers. During the Malayan Emergency, Iban trackers from the previous Malayan Scouts were attached to and served in several SAS units.
This battalion is currently based in Majidee Camp, Johor Bahru, Johor.

2nd Rangers
The motto of this battalion is in Kadazan language: 'Osiou oh kamanang.' This battalion is currently based in Syed Putra Camp, Ipoh, Perak. Syed Putra Camp was previously known as Sulva Lines Camp, and has been always regarded as 'Home of the Rangers'.

3rd Rangers
The motto of this battalion is 'Be Proud'. This battalion is currently based in Oya Camp, Sibu, Sarawak.

4th Rangers
This battalion is currently based in Oran Camp, Kangar, Perlis. It scheduled to be based in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak within the next few years. This battalion received its Regimental Colours on the 25th October 1980.

5th Rangers
This battalion is currently based at Camp Desa Pahlawan, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

6th Rangers
This battalion is currently based at Wardieburn Camp, Kuala Lumpur.

7th Rangers ( Mechanized)
7th Renjer was formed on 10 May 1970, at Quetta Camp in Kluang, Johor with an initial batch of 202 recruits formed into 2 rifle companies. The compilement was completed with the transfer of rifle companies from each of 8th Malay, 2nd Renjer, 3rd Renjer and 4th Renjer regiments. With the transfer of these companies, 7th Renjer achieved the full regimental strength. It is the only regiment converted into 'Mechanised Battalion'. This battalion is currently based at Batu Lima Camp, Mentakab, Pahang.

8th Rangers (Para)
8th Renjer was formed on 1 March 1973, 3 years after the formation of 7th Renjer. 8th Renjer was raised as the first parachute infantry battalion in the Malaysian Army, and achieved operational status on 1 July 1990 as a component of the elite 10 Paratroop Brigade (Malaysia).
8th Renjer gained fame during the communist Insurgency in the 1970s and 1980s. 8th Renjer engaged in several search and destroy missions against Communist Terrorists in Sarawak. From 1977, the battalion was particularly successful against Communist Terrorists in search and destroy missions in the Hulu Perak, Kinta and Kuala Kangsar regions in Perak.
Several members of the battalion were awarded the nation's highest gallantry award, the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP) and the Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB) medals. Pegawai Waran II Kanang anak Langkau remains to this day the only reciepient of both the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa and the Panglima Gagah Berani medals. Sarjan Michael Riman anak Bugat and Sarjan Beliang anak Bali were both awarded the Panglima Gagah Berani medal.
This battalion is currently based at Terendak Camp, Melaka, also known as 'Home of the Paras' equivalent to US Fort Bragg's, the home of 82nd Airborne Div, Fort Bragg.

HEROES OF 8 RANGER
KANANG ak LANGKAU from Simanggang (Sri Aman), Sarawak stands out as the greatest of the war heroes in the Malaysian Armed Forces history. He won two of the nation's highest award for bravery. He was awarded the Pingat Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB) for his efforts in tracking and destroying the enemy in Korbu Reserved Forest, Sg. Siput, Perak in 1979. A year later, Sergeant Kanang was awarded the Pingat Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP), the highest award for bravery for his effort in February 1980 for successfully engaging and destroying the enemy after tracking them for eleven days in the jungles of Tanah Hitam, Perak. He had since retired from service as Warrant Officer I.

9th Rangers
This battalion is currently based in Taiping, Perak.

Rangers in Combat
6th Rangers-Ambush at Klian Intan
On 27 August 1970, in a successful ambush of communist terrorists near Tanah Hitam, Klian Intan in Perak, 5 Communist Terrorists (CTs) including a branch committee member were killed, and several weapons were captured by members of 6 Bn Ranger Regiment. Mejar Ismail bin Salleh, commading officer of Charlie Company and Leftenan Muda David Fu Chee Ming who was the platoon commander of 8 Platoon were awarded the Panglima Gagah Berani on 2 June 1971.
Based on information gathered by the Special Branch, that 60 Communist terrorists would be infiltrating Tanah Hitam moving on to Grik, Charlie Company with a complement of 3 officers and 94 other ranks were tasked to lay an ambush along the infiltration route. Charlie Company was split into 3 groups, with Company Hq and 9 Platoon forming the centre blocking force, 7 Platoon to the right and 8 Platoon to the left. The groups were given 2 days to prepare their ambush positions and lay booby traps and Claymore mines.
On 20 August, 1 Section consisting of 8 personnel heard the rustling of branches and bamboo being snapped by footfalls. 1 section immediately stood to in their bunkers. Renjer Abu bin Mat saw an armed CT on the trail, 35 meters from their bunker, a lead scout of a larger group. Renjer Abu bin Mat and Renjer Abu Samah Hj. Ibrahim who were manning the Section’s support GPMG, along with Lans Koperal Abdullah bin Nawi held their fire and continued their wait. Moments later, another CT appeared on the trail, and joined by another 2 CTs.
At 3.45 p.m., Lans Koperal Abdullah detonated his Claymore mine while the GPMG crew opened fire, joined by the LMG manned by Lans Koperal Karim bin Sidek manning the left bunker. At 4.20 p.m., the CTs ceased fire, even though movement could still be heard in the trail. 1 Section opened fire to suppress the CT’s movements. With nightfall, the CTs made an attempt to retrieve their fallen comrades. Mejar Ismail called for close in artillery support on the trail, walking the artillery rounds close to 1 Section’s position. The CTs withdrew before morning, leaving behind their dead. Searches the following morning revealed 5 dead CTs.




Cut it off ( Kasi Bobbit sama dia)


Policemen tying up the suspect after he was handed over to them.

30-year-old flasher held By Victor Lim (eastern times, 30.9.08)
KUCHING: A 30-year-old general worker was finally nabbed by residents of Jalan Permata on Sunday for committing indecent exposure in the neighbourhood several times this month.According to one of the residents, who declined to be named, his wife had told him about a stranger, who wore a red cap, flashing in front of their house on several occasions this month. He had also heard similar stories from their neighbours.Last Sunday, the resident spotted a man wearing a red cap. He immediately approached the guy and asked him what he was doing near his (resident) house.The stranger, who is believed to be from Singgai, Bau (but is now living in Jalan Song) claimed that he was on his way to buy cigarettes.When the resident requested the man to follow him home, to let his wife verify whether it was the same man she saw flashing in front of their house, the man tried to flee.But the resident held on to him tightly and alerted neighbours to help tie him up and to call the police.A mobile patrol unit arrived minutes later and brought the suspect to the Simpang Tiga police station for questioning.

Volunteer magnanimous despite attack by robbers

WE’RE SORRY: Wee (left) presents a memento to Hiroshi as a gesture of apology. (Inset) Hiroshi on the night after he was attacked.


KUCHING: No regrets.

That was what 19-year-old Yamaguchi Hiroshi said when asked about being slashed and robbed on the first day he arrived here.
He endured the terrifying experience on Sept 14 when walking to a 24-hour-convenience store from his lodgings at Jalan Mathies. The story was published by The Borneo Post on Sept 16.
He got 10 stitches after his neck and face were slashed by men armed with meat cleavers to whom he refused to surrender his wallet and iPod.
Hiroshi is one of 11 volunteers from a non-governmental organisation (NGO) from Japan called ‘Nice’ which organises voluntary projects all around their country and Southeast Asia.
Hiroshi was all alone till photographer Nik Hariff Hassan from Berita Harian happened to pass by.
Hariff helped to call the police but a patrol vehicle arrived only 40 minutes later.
With his wounds, unattended Hiroshi was told by the police to go to the nearest police station instead of taking him to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).
Bleeding, Hiroshi (escorted by Hariff) walked all the way to the central police station (CPS).
It was when they reached the station that Hiroshi was rushed to SGH.
The following day Hiroshi was still able to get on with his two-week project at Rumah Dagan in Sarikei.
At a dinner arranged by the president of Sarawak Tourism Federation, Wee Hong Seng, on Sunday after the stint, Hiroshi was seen in good spirits.
He was met by the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism, Akit Sebli, at the dinner.
Hiroshi told reporters that he has put the nasty experience behind him, enjoyed his stay in Sarawak and would come back as a tourist.
“Crime could happen anytime, anywhere in the world. It’s not just Kuching. That fateful day is just a bad day for me,” Hiroshi said, adding that he held no grudge against the people of Kuching.
Wee apologised to Hiroshi and his team on behalf of the tourism industry and hoped the police would redouble their efforts to ensure no attack would happen again on locals or tourists.
The volunteers were presented with mementoes of Sarawak while Berita Harian photographer Hariff was given recognition for having helped Hiroshi.
Wee encouraged members of the public to emulate Hariff’s example.
Hiroshi left for Japan at 11am yesterday.
By Fitzpatrick Ricky and Rizal Lynam (Borneo Post, 30.9.2008)
It was very lucky he got slightly injured... it could have been worse..

Crash course on local cultures

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 (Borneo Post)

NRD officers from the peninsula should understand local peculiarities: Junaidi
KUCHING: Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has suggested that senior officers of the National Registration Department (NRD) from Peninsular Malaysia who serve here be given ‘thorough lessons’ on local cultures and traditions.
He said senior officers from the peninsula had either “failed to understand or appreciate” local cultures with regard to registration of change of names.
The Santubong MP was commenting on calls by former Sabah chief minister Datuk Salleh Said Keruak that the director general of NRD should either come from Sabah or Sarawak.
Junaidi said it had come to his attention that the depart-ment had objected to the registration of change of names by Kelabits, thus gradually causing their tradition and culture to die out.
Traditionally, the Kelabits changed their names after marriage, which the officers from the peninsula failed to recognise, he said yesterday.
Another case which he cited was the case of his son-in-law who wanted to register his daughter as a Melanau to follow the father’s ethnicity, but the department objected to it and insisted on putting the race as Malay. Junaidi said such procedure was clearly wrong and a grave mistake on the part of the department.
“By right, my grand-daughter’s race should be Melanau because the father is a Melanau,” he said.
“Our biggest problem here (in Sabah and Sarawak) is that senior officers of the department seem not to understand or fail to appreciate our local cultures pertaining to registration.
“So, I strongly suggest that the officers be given proper and thorough lessons on the local cultures before serving here,” Junaidi said.
According to him, he brought up the matter to the attention of Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar last month.
Junaidi, however, felt that it was not necessary for the NRD director-general or director to be from Sabah or Sarawak, disagreeing with Said Keruak.
What is important is that senior officers from the peninsula dealing with registration must be made to understand the local cultures and traditions.
“Here (in Sarawak) we have over 30 ethnic groups and in Sabah, close to 40 groups, so it is very important that the senior officers have proper knowledge (about local cultures and traditions).
“Failure to understand the various ethnic groups is not good,” he said, adding it could lead to misunderstanding.


Go figure... if like that, can go back lo...

Aya Hirano’s bikini blunder

The alleged photo
and how the bikini should be worn instead
A forumer has ‘corrected the mistake’ via image editing… nice job lol…

September 5, 2008 (YeinJee's Asian News)

A Japanese board is heated up with debates about Japanese star Aya Hirano and her seemingly upside-down bikini photo published in her 2009 calendar.
To be frank I wouldn’t have noticed the mistake if I didn’t read it from Tokyomango, it’s just a cute photo for me… ladies might have sharper sense on this kind of malfunction though…
Makes no difference to me...he..he..he..

Boobs on Bike parade in Auckland

Friday August 29, 2008 The Star

Boobs parade brings city to a halt
TALE OF TWO CITIES - AUCKLANDBy CHARLES CHAN
EVER since Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi team wrested Ame-rica’s Cup from Team New Zealand in 2003, Auckland has lost much of its lustre as a venue for major events.
In addition to the loss of hosting rights for the prestigious race, the city’s other role as a port of supply and logistics for the around-the-world Whitbread Race is also history.
And bowing to pressure from anti-noise pollution groups, Auckland also surrendered the staging of the V-8 Supercar race to Hamilton, once described by Rolling Stone Keith Richards as “the most boring city in New Zealand.”
Apart from being the largest city in NZ and the venue for the 2011 World Cup Rugby, there aren’t any officially-sanctioned annual event of note going on in Auckland that can draw visitors, like what the Formula 1 Race in Sepang is doing for Kuala Lumpur.
So, there surely must be plenty of red faces in the city hall when the best that Auckland could come up with this year was the annual Boobs on Bike parade in Queen St organised by porn king Steve Crow, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2007.
Big turnout: Part of the crowd at the parade.
The controversial Aug 20 event, in its sixth year in Auckland, featured 30 bare-breasted women parading down Queen St in open-top cars and motorbikes as part of the build-up to Crow’s R-18 Erotica Lifestyles Expo.
Among them was Lisa Lewis, a $7,000 a night escort who also moonlights as a naked news reader on Alt TV which sort of makes her a fellow journalist!
Lewis shot to notoriety when she streaked in a bikini during the 2006 All Blacks-Ireland rugby test match. She later showed her business acumen by auctioning her bikini for over $4,000.
According to media estimates, more than 100,000 people lined the sidewalks of Queen St to ogle the topless women parading down the street in open-top cars and or riding pillion on motorcycles driven by grizzled, tattooed and leather-jacketed bikers.
Crow, who led the parade in a Bentley convertible, had instructed the topless women beforehand to keep the jiggling to a minimum and to not do anything that would be deemed offensive.
One of the more unusual sights was an army tank on Auckland’s main street carrying two bare-breasted women.
The Auckland City Council had tried to stop it with a court injunction but a woman judge said she did not find the parade offensive and ruled in favour of Crow who argued that he was exercising his right to free expression as enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
The parade was a marketing coup for Crow as response to the Erotica Expo had been rather limp and ticket sales needed to be stiffened up.
The Erotica Expo is an annual event which provided visitors an explicit insight to what goes on in the sex industry. Sideshows included visitors paying to wrestle with a near-naked woman on a floor filled with jelly.
Privately, many concerned parents agree that the parade was an exhibition in bad taste but most Aucklanders just shrug it off as a harmless distraction from the daily grind of earning a living, especially during the current economic recession in NZ.
Indeed, the behaviour of spectators left no doubt bad taste was the flavour of the moment when protesters in a counter parade, aimed at highlighting awareness of links between pornography and sexual violence, were booed and pelted with paper cups.
The protest organised by Auckland Women’s Centre and Stop Demand Foundation began about half an hour before the Boobs on Bikes parade and had about 40 protesters.
“It makes objects out of women — it degrades them and we are sick of people like Steve Crow trampling over the values of our country,” said one protester.
Curiously, Stop Demand founder Denise Ritchie credited Crow for “providing us with a wonderful platform” to get their anti-sexual violence message out.
For Crow, the message from the crowd must surely be: stay out of mayoral politics, stick to porn.









August 23, 2008 (YeinJee Asian's News)
A topless parade was held on Wednesday (Aug 20) in Auckland, New Zealand, despite various protests. The Boobs on Bike parade on Queens Street featured some semi-nude porn stars and was part of the Erotica Expo organised by Steve Crow.
The Auckland City Council had sought a court injunction to stop the parade but the judge has ruled in the the parade’s favour. I’ll leave the moral issue for your own interpretation; but some of the folks were obviously enjoying the show…
Try having this here...

Chinese bikini babes break world record




The record breaking feat (Image from Guangzhou Daily)


June 17, 2008


A total of 1202 bikini-clad ladies have broken the world record for the highest number of women attending a swimsuit photo shoot.
The girls broke the record at a waterpark in Guangzhou, China, by resembling the shape of the Olympic emblem in celebration of the 2008 Beijing Olympic games which is approaching (in August).
The previous record was set at Bondi Beach, Australia, with 1010 participants.

Sarawak Regatta 2008 Pictures (Source:MyMug Blog)

Karam



Across river

Dalat Regatta and Belaga Regatta

Dalat Regatta 2008
Full support: The spectators watching the race from the riverbank
Off they go: Paddlers racing off at the start of the regatta.

Standing tall: Pusaka Satu's Rabani Taip (right) receiving the trophy from Dalat district officer Besri Benus after his boat become the “King of the River” for the regatta.

Monday June 30, 2008
The kings of the river
Story and pictures by RAPEE KAWI
More than 5,000 people gathered along the Oya River for the two-day Dalat Regatta in Mukah division in Sarawak recently.
The event kicked off with a welcoming speech by Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Fatimah Abdullah, who was also the organising chairperson.
She said although the Dalat Regatta was not as grand or well-known as the Sarawak Regatta held annually in Kuching or the Baram Regatta, it was still a popular social event for the local Melanau community in Mukah division.
Participants came from various parts of Sarawak including Kuching and Tanjung Manis.
The regatta was launched by Head of State Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng at the Dalat wharf.
This was followed by a kayak demonstration by students from SMK Dalat. There was also a boat parade and a longboat parade by Melanau women in front of the grand stand at the wharf.
The regatta comprises races in traditional boats known as “perahu bidar” with categories from 10 paddlers to 30 paddlers each.
Besides cheering on their teams at the grand stand or the finishing point, people also watched the race from their homes along the Oya River at Kampung Hilir, Kampung Seberang, Kampung Sungai Ud, Kampung Tengah and Kampung Brunei as the race routes went past their villages.

In the final event, the Pusaka Satu boat owned by Datuk Len Talif Salleh of the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) finished in first place to be crowned “King of the River”.
Among those present at the regatta were Assistant Minister of Environment Dr Abang Abdul Rauf Abang Zen, Mukah MP Datuk Dr Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad, Jemoreng assemblyman Abu Seman Jahwie, Daro assemblyman Dr Murni Suhaili, heads of departments and local community leaders.






Belaga Regatta 2008

High energy: The 30-paddler event starting off.

Fast pace: 30HP speedboats in action.

Longest boat: A boat with capacity for 105 paddlers getting ready in the unlimited category of the event.

Monday September 1, 2008 The Star
Story and pictures by RAPAEE KAWI

Long boats get on with the show
THE Belaga Regatta in Sarawak is a unique event featuring the perahu temuai, a longboat with up to 100 paddlers, in one of its races.
Other regattas in Sarawak do not have such a long boat in their races.

The team from Uma Kahei longhouse won the race, followed by the teams from Uma Aging and Sekapan Piit longhouses.
Other races in the regatta involved the 15-, 30- and 40-horsepower perahu bangkut (a type of speedboat) and the water scooter.
The regatta is an annual event for people living on the upper reaches of Rajang River, mostly from Orang Ulu communities such as the Kayan, Kenyah, Lahanan, Sihan and Kejaman Neh.

Many of them made their way to Belaga to watch the three-day re­gatta, with some of them putting up tents on the riverbank as tempo­rary accommodation.
Belaga is the last town on the Rajang River, about 10 hours by express boat from Sibu.
The boat journey to Belaga passes through the Pelagus rapids and other smaller rapids.
The express boats stop at longhouses along the river to drop off passengers and unload goods.

Raya across the South China Sea

We do have the redang, kari, lemang, etc..
Green Spot...lemonade, soda...

Blue Ice???

Stella Artois(The Official Beer of Sarawak)
Pictures courtesy of Nadai Nama Nama
Exterpt from the blog..
(Some more surprises came as some of the dishes and drinks served were rather different. This is served at the back of the house (kitchen area) which is an exclusive zone for special guests - I told myself that I must visit these very 'Sarawak' houses again next Raya. The food served included bamboo chicken and fish. That's the beauty of Sarawak - we share all our cultures without going to the extremes in our religous views. I would have loved to go to the extremes in my drinking but I was driving so I confined myself to just ten glasses per house. Hehehe... nah just joking. From my observation, Hari Raya celebration in Sarawak has not only embraced the Chinese 'ang pow' practice (for duit Raya) - but they have now also included some extra menus in the form of Sarawak food and drinks *hic*. The celebrants' idea is that Raya is for everyone and not for them alone. Don't you just love Sarawak and Sarawakians?)

Raya is celebrated differently over there. You would have relatives of different races coming together and celebrate. As friends, you would be treated also as a member of the familiy...

Roadblock Haram

Hati2 semasa di Jalan Kampung, ada roadblock haram

Raya open houses showcase racial harmony with Raya time...Layer Cakes

By Churchill Edward (Borneo Post, 3.10.2008)

KUCHING: An odd yet very acceptable characteristic of this year’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house, just like those in past years, was the fact that the multi-racial visitors outnumbered their Muslim hosts.
Literally, thousands upon thousands of visitors all over the state gave a clear indication that Sarawak has no need for a race relations law.
Leading by example were Head of State Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin and Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
Their open houses on the first and second day of Hari Raya reflected the general happenings throughout the state where ordinary people of all races mingled, exchanged greetings, and show respect to one another.
His Excellency and wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Norkiah held their open house at the Astana, while Taib and Datuk Amar Puan Sri Laila had theirs at the State Indoor Stadium in Petra Jaya.
Among other VVIPs who held their Open Houses were Housing Minister Dato Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and State Legislative Assembly Speaker Dato Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar.
Parliament Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, and assistant state ministers - Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman, Datin Fatimah Abdullah and Dr Abang Abdul Rauf Abang Zen also held open houses.
Among the distinguished visitors were Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan
and Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang; leaders of political parties including Land Development Minister Dato Sri Dr James Masing and Social Development and Urbanisation Minister Dato Sri William Mawan Ikom, as well as community and association leaders.


Kek Lapis White Chocolate
Kek Lapis Sourabaya

Kek Lapis Sisik Ikan


Kek Lapis Pua Kumpu


Kek Lapis Prune


Kek Lapis Masam Manis


Kek Lapis Indian

Kek Lapis Horlick

Kek Lapis Batik Kenyalang
(Pictures sourced from Treats and Trade)


Uniquely Borneo Blog

Uniquely Borneo Blog

Uniquely Borneo Blog