Japanese in Batu Lintang

"Tonight, Father Christmas will come.."

27th November 2005


"Tonight, Father Christmas will come...and give Christmas gifts to the children......."  Aunty Nyuk Lan said to me on Christmas eve. It was 50 over years ago. I found a present by bed side the next morning.

Today, Father Christmas came again......and give a gift from Australia to my daughter.

Wong Nyuk Lan (23rd October 1915 - April 2011 Age 96)
Wong Mei Yin (25th April 2002)

The eldest and the youngest
in the Wong family in above photograph taken on 27th November 2005 in Kuching.

Wong Mei Yin remain as the youngest member in the Wong family till today.

It was Christmas Eve in 1960 or 1961: "Tonight, Father Christmas will come...and give Christmas gifts to the children......." Aunty Nyuk Lan said to me while preparing meal for the family. "How does Father Christmas comes into the house ?......"        I asked. "Climb through the chimney....." Aunty Nyuk Lan answered. There was no chimney on the roof, houses do not build chimney in Malaysia. I looked up and scan the zinc roof of the kitchen (there was also no ceiling for wooden house in those days in Kuching)... But I knew Father Christmas some how could find a hole in the roof top to climb in during the night. Sure enough, awoke the next morning I found a Christmas Gift by my bed side. Wan Tet Fong, the cousin whom I share the big wooden bed with, he also has a gift too. Each children in the house        has one. This was in 1960 or 1961 when I was a kid boarding temporary in her house for a year because my father (her        brother) was transferred to work in Simanggang Town. I later learned whom that Father Christmas was who placed gifts on the bed side while children were sound asleep. Aunty Wong Nyuk Lan RIP in April 2011, but she remains in our heart for ever like Christmas Father does.

Here are links to more information on Kuching Town in the 1960's:
Link : Old Kuching in Black and White pictures

Leopard Cat

10 December 2011

After dropping off my son at the Tawau Hills Park front gate for his holiday nature study project, I proceed  to office in Merotai Town to be in time for work.  While rushing down the slop curve after the Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve, I spotted at right hand road side a dead cat ran down by vehicles. This is not an ordinary house car. Its bright orange body color and black spots reminded me of a Leopard Cat I saw 4 years ago.  After a few seconds of hesitation I decided to turn the car back to the spot and took several snap shots. Not contended with my identification, I carried the cat into my car to the office for a closer look.

Its a Leopard Cat.

The Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. 

Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range.

Leopard Cat is not a near relative to Leopard. Leopard cat's name is derived from the leopard-like spots appearance.

There are twelve leopard cat subspecies.

This wild cat found by the side of Merotai Road is 54cm from head to tip of tail. A young female. By pressing the stomach, I can feel the cat stomach is empty. Likely hunger forced her to wonder out her field into the road where met her ill fate.

A kilometer away the road is Bukit Gemok Forest Reserve.  Between the road and the Reserve are oil palm plantations. Endless stretch of oil palm plantations along Merotai Road continued by Kalabakan Road. 

Leopard Cat is common seen in oil palm plantations. 

Scientific name:Prionailurus bengalensis
Common name:Leopard cat

Distribution: Ussuri region of southeastern Siberia, Manchuria, Korea, Quelpart and Tsushima islands (between Korea and Japan) most of China, east of Tibet, Pakistan to Indochina, Taiwan, Hainan, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, Borneo, Malay Peninsula, several islands in the western and central Philippines.

Leopard Cat is adaptable to deforestation compared to other wild cats and is often found near villages.



The tropical rainforests of Borneo Island have five species of wild cat:
1) Bornean Bay Cat - endangered species
2) Clouded leopard
3) Flat-headed cat
4) Marbled cat
5) Leopard cat

Bornean Wild Cat Project : http://www.wildaboutcats.org/borneo.htm

Wild Cat Clouded Leopard Project : http://www.cloudedleopard.org/default.aspx?link=borneo_bwccl

New species of spiders

The Family of Salticidae has 18 Subfamilies

Salticidae Myrmarachninae

Ant mimicry spiders

Kundasang in 2011

Open burning in Kundasang

A massive fire started by farmers preparing land for planting burnt the whole hill away.

Such widespread forest clearing and subsequent subjection of tender soil to harsh and severe fiery treatment during the height of drought every year is partly blamed for turning the supposedly temperate Kundasang into another hot tropic.

One reason farmers burn is the burning gave some quick carbon to help release nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus. But in return to environment, water sources damaged, trees are killed, air quality is destroyed.

Oxygen is a natural coolant and when there are fewer trees, there is less oxygen.

Friendly soil microbes and useful animals for biological controls ranging from predatory insects to birds disappear, leaving farmers to rely heavily on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to artificially boost and protect crops.

Under the Environmental Quality Act 1974, open burning is an offence and the offending farmer or farmers risks being charged in court. In the case of large plantations and industries, those found guilty are liable to a maximum fine of RM500,000 or a five-year jail.

Kinabalu Pine Resort (blue roof tops at left above photo) of hillside wooden cottages flanked by pine trees all around.

Kundasang in 2011

Kundasang War Memorial and Gardens

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'Contemplation Garden' with a reflection pool in 1995 and in 2011(above 2 photos).

昆達山戰爭紀念園。
紀念第二次世界大戰犧牲的2,428名澳大利亞及英國士兵。

紀念園分四個花園：
1) 澳大利亞園、
2) 英國園、
3) 婆羅洲園、
4) 沉思園及水池

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Kundasang War Memorial and Gardens

Kundasang War Memorial commemorate 2,428 brave Australian and British Prisoners of War who died in Sandakan and during the infamous death marches to Ranau during World War II.

At the end of the march, no English survivors left, only six Australians survived in the tragedy.

These six Australians survived to tell the horror.

If the Japanese conquerors was able to get done with these 6 last survivors, today no one will be able to know the details of this infamous story of WW2 in Malaysia.

But glad full to the initiative of a young New Zealander Toby Carter.

Major G.S. Carter, D.S.O. (Toby Carter) was an employee of Shell Oil Company based in Borneo. He initiated the building of a Memorial to remember these groups prisoners of war who died during the War.

Kundasang War Memorial and Gardens is like a fort on a hill, located immediately behind the rows of shops.

Kundasang War Memorial is made up of four gardens representing the different nationalities -

1) Australian Garden

2) English Garden

3) Borneo Garden

4) Contemplation Garden and Pool

The beautiful gardens are a reminder for those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of others.

I first came to the Memorial Garden in 1976 and many years later in 1995 with family members.

Kundasang Town has always been my favorite location ever since. Since 1995 I passed by Kundasang Town several times yet non I drop in Memorial Gardens again.

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Memorial was restored in 2005 by Mr Sevee Charuruks and with funding provided by the Malaysian Government.

Xing and me came in 30th August 2011 and spend some time to have a closer look at changes of the Memorial since 1995.

We met the restorer Mr. Sevee Charuruks.

Desa Dairy Farm, Kundasang Town 2001

Desa Dairy Farm, Mesilau Highland, Kundasang in 2001

It is one of the subsidiaries of Desa Group of Companies which is wholly owned by the Sabah Government.

Australian Memorial Park is at the road entrance to Desa Dairy Farm.

Desa Dairy Farm is located at Mesilau Plateau, Kundasang, Ranau. Mt. Kinabalu is just behind the farm. William Chung's (left in above photo) 4 wheels TOYOTA has no problem in climbing up the steep slops.

The best time to visit the farm is around 2:30pm as milking session is starting at 3pm every day. You can see all the cows are lining up waiting for milking (photo above)

Friesian Cattle are reared in this farm to produce around one million liters of fresh milk annually.

Desa Dairy Farm is a good education for children to understand how fresh milk processed from cows to milk we drink at home.

The processing plant is fully automated at all stage of production. Fresh milk in original and chocolate flavors is available for sales at the lobby.

Kundasang Trip 29-2 September 2011

Kundasang Trip 29-2 September 2011

From Kundasang Town to :

to Kinabalu National Park - 5 minutes (6 km/4 miles)

to Poring Hot Spring - 35 minutes

to Kinabalu Golf Club - 15 minutes

to Zen Garden Resort - 10 minutes

to Rose Garden - 0 minutes

to Kundasang War Memorial - 0 minutes

Kundasang Trip		At Night
Monday, August 29, 2011	Tawau - Sukau	Sukau
Tuesday, August 30, 2011	Sukau - Kundasang	BCCM
Wednesday, August 31, 2011	Kundasang	BCCM
Thursday, September 01, 2011	Kundasang - LD	Lahad Datu
Friday, September 02, 2011	LD - Tawau	Home
Saturday, September 03, 2011	START WORK

Places of Interest

Vignettes from the Life of 'Abdu'l-Baha

'Abdu'l-Baha was asked at one time what He thought about women's fashions,

He replied simply:

'We do not look upon the dresses of women, whether or not they are of the latest mode. We are not the judge of fashions. We rather judge the wearer of dresses. If she be chaste, if she be cultured, if she be characterized with heavenly morality, and if she be favored at the Threshold of God, she is honored and respected by us, no matter what manner of dress she wears. We have nothing to do with the ever-changing world of modes.'

- Vignettes from the Life of 'Abdu'l-Baha

How the Baha'is look at women

When the Baha'is look at those pretty women, their eyes focus beyond those beautiful fashions to see.....

If she be chaste,

if she be cultured,

if she be characterized with heavenly morality,

if she be favored at the Threshold of God.

How many beautiful things are we missing?

Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. A man played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3 year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.

45 minutes:

The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.

He collected $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ..... How many other things are we missing?

Sibuan Island - Most Beautiful Beach in Celebes Sea

Most Beautiful Beach in Celebes Sea

Island and Beach of Sibuan Island has often been mentioned in internet the most beautiful in Celebes Sea.

Sibuan comprises one main island the shape of a war ship, with white-sand beaches surrounded by a coral reef.

Living on the island ate resident of about 50 including Sea Bajau and Government officers on duty.

White sand beaches, swaying coconut trees, crystal-clear pristine blue waters with a surrounding of calm sea.

Few sea gypsies families built small huts on the island. Curious and playful sea gypsies children sharing their catch and coconuts with you.

This most beautiful beach closest to Semporna Town on Sibuan Island is where we came for a half day snorkeling on 31-5-2011. No doubt the most beautiful beach we ever being to.

This one of the most beautiful islands in the Celebes Sea has in recent years became a popular spot for snorkel and student-divers.

The island is protected by Malaysian armed forces with its barracks stationed at the remote Northern end of the island. Providing tourists protection and offering the sea gypsies supply of water.

The soldiers also protect the island ecology from illegal fishing using bombs and cyanide that destroys coral reef. Together, the soldiers and the sea gypsies form a community to help to keep the island clean and protect the island's marine life.

Sibuan Island has 8 Dive Sites.

A diving learner learn how to drop into with tank for the first time (photo above) while the local Diving Master in black dive suit on the water keep a watchful eye.

We are in the same boat to the island.

Sibuan is a popular spot for diving instructors to conduct the Open Water Diver Course because of the calm water, shallow slope and clear sandy bottoms.

Good underwater visibility all year round promotes colorful underwater photography.

Sibuan is a macro divers paradise with rare, unique and bizarre critters everywhere. Sandy bottoms mixed with rubble as well as sloping reefs provide a playground for divers to hunt within.

I have seen Nemo in all forms of digital images and in aquarium, but it is here in Sibuan Island I meet Nemo face to face. The new experience in water is difficult to describe. I will come back one day with a water camera.

Sea Gypsies of the Celebes Sea

Blue sky, green sea water, white sandy beach, tall coconut trees swinging to the rhythm of warm sea breeze. Like a setting for yet another Hollywood film of tropical island fantasy love story.

This is what greet our eyes when we arrive and I talked to myself "The islanders must be living a fantasy life that the city people like me dream of"

Our speed boat took only 20minutes journey from Semporna Town to this tinny Sibuan Island. But before departure, the boat has to drop by the Tourist Jetty to pay Rm2.00 per person Park Entrance Fee. (Rm10.00 for Non Malaysian)

Underneath the coconut trees are huts of Bajau Laut people. At the Northern end of island is Malaysian army guard post where government officers stay when on duty.

Their simple homes of huts made out of coconut leaves and drift woods. Those who are more capable have huts made of plywood and zinc roof.

Over looking from the huts is spectacular view of clear green water of Celebes Sea that attracted thousands of sea lovers from all over the world each year.

Sea Bajau (Bajau Laut or Sea Gypsies or what ever name given by the so called modernized people on the land) are sea faring people.

They used to live on boats, many have moved to land to live on huts. After several years, they may move to another island where food are abundant.

The people on this island is among the world's last marine nomads.

This Bajau ethnic group have lived at sea for centuries, plying a tract of ocean between the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

They themselves are not sure where their home town is, neither historian knows where they were originated.

Bajau people : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajau_people

Sea Bajau people has a proud tradition of skilled craftsmanship in hand-made boat ‘LEPA’ (Bajau language : boat that hand-crafted).

A LEPA boat usually measured 5 to 7 meters long. This LEPA boat in the making is about 4 meters.

Sea Bajau language is different from Malay. Their language is related to South Philippines.

"Dalok Bin Mangona" he told me when I asked what his name is.

Dalok Bin Mangona is certainly proud of his little LEPA that would soon sail him over the Celebes Sea.

Dalok is certainly proud of his boat making skill handed down in the thousand years tradition of his people. But a skill and tradition rapidly disappearing in this part of industrializing world where the young generation has to face the challenge of mastering new skills to survive in a large modern society............. and human's civilization has always been cruel to the culturally weak groups.

Under the tropical sun are playing children and drying strips of shell meat hung horizontally.

For the children here, their daily routine consists of plenty of playing (above) while the more industrious, usually girls, traipsing the shallows sea (photo below), gathering food and subsistence for the family.

Celebes sea provide staple foods of the Bajau Laut in this island that includes sea cucumber, sea urchins and shellfish.

One of the Sea Gypsies sea flavors is the Sea Urchins the red girl above collected.

While snorkeling I saw many of these spiny dark brown sea urchins at the coral area and nearby me the red girl was collecting them using a long iron hock.

An hour later she was at the beach side cutting open the urchins with a parang (long knife) and scooping the eatable orange color meat into a plastic bowl.

These are considered a bit of a delicacy because the amount of effort takes to collect them from the sea floor and the small amount of edible material you actually get for quantity collected.

Opening the sea urchin is an important process because the edible part rests completely on one side. The edible part is the organ that produces eggs rather than the eggs themselves.

Town people in my town do not know much about this delicacy from the sea but the Japanese use sea urchins as ingredient for their shushi.

Sea cucumbers (photo below) is a delicacy among them and a commodity they have traded for centuries. A main cash income for many of these fishermen.

These dark color dried sea cucumber in photo below may not be the high grade for export. They consume themselves or sold in local town market at a lower price and usual customers are local Chinese.

......their migration has been attributed in part to their pursuit of trade, particularly in a sea cucumber species called the Trepang. It is considered a delicacy and is used in soups made as far away as China, where it is also used medicinally. The Bajau. The Peoples of the World Foundation http://www.peoplesoftheworld.org/text?people=Bajau

The Sea Cucumber of above photo may not be the species Trepang that has high export value. These are sold in local market in Semporna and Tawau.

"She sells sea shells on the sea shore."

Yes, the girls do sell sea shells at the sea shore collected from Sibuan Island sea shore.

But this sea shell I saw on sea shore she not sells (photo above).

This spider sea shell has a bottom half broken that spare it from being sold.

"All Bajau people are poor. To travel to Semporna with boat without engine took 5-6 hours. We can't afford an engine boat. I ever thought of selling coconut to the tourist but climbing the tall trees are dangerous." Ng Shannon Bajau Laut at Sibuan Island Sabah19 March 2011 http://ngshannonhomeschool.blogspot.com

Perhaps this is the most wealthiest family unit in the island as shown in this young lady's procession - a CD Player powered by a car battery and a Gas tank underneath the hut.

Dreams of the Islanders

Sibuan Island

Sibuan Island is located at the North of the Semporna Marine Park. Looking through Google Earth, Sibuan shaped like a chilli.

This island has a land area of 15 hectares and very flat covered with coconut trees. The coconut trees are grown in neat rows indicating the trees are systematically planted by human and not grew up by themselves.

Judging by the height of the tree, the coconuts trees are at least 60 over years old. That was after First World War and base on my history knowledge of Tawau, at that time the Japanese are doing coconut planting in vast area in this part of Sabah (North Borneo at that time). The Japanese farmers all evacuated from Sabah after the Second War World. Their agriculture property "confesticated" by UN and taken over by local Chinese.

But was Sibuan Island a Japanese coconut plantation 60 over years ago ??

Sibuan At one time the economy of the island was based on the coconut plantation – an old copra production shed was seen in 1980 (Piper, 1981). The plantation is no longer actively managed, but there is some harvesting of coconuts judging by the piles of discarded husks. A small plot of maize was seen close to the huts in 1999, but otherwise there is no cultivation. http://www.sempornaislandsproject.com

I am very impressed by Sibuan's beauty of white sandy beach and swaying coconut trees dotted with some fisherman stilt wooden houses.

It is not surprising that in the Internet reckon Sibuan Island the most beautiful island in the Celebes Sea.

The huts are temporary home of Bajau Laut fishermen. Huts made with mangrove/coconut posts and thatched with plaited coconut leaves.

There are only 10 over houses/huts on the island. How nice if I have a house to live in such an peaceful and charming environment. But....

.....most people left the settlement present on Pulau Sibuan in 1999 after a pirate raid in 2000. http://www.townplanning.sabah.gov.my

Sibuan is without a doubt, one of the most beautiful islands in the Celebes Sea, and has the most beautiful beach closest to the mainland Semporna. Allister Lee AQUATASTIC http://www.allisterlee.com/2010/10/sibuan-island.html

Sibuan southern end has a deeper water channel allowing speed boats to come in even in low tide.

Sibuan Island is a popular training ground for PADI Open Water Dive Course.

This is also the reason why we came to this island, the boat we follow is the boat for a group of Diving learners and their instructors who come to the island for diving training.

Sibuan Island is part of Tun Sakaran Marine Park, a public marine park set up only several years ago by Malaysian Government for both tourism and marine protection.

Several kilometers from Sibuan Island are seaweed farms in the middle of the sea. Seaweed farms provide economy improvement to the local people, an Endeavour of Malaysian Government to help remove poverty of the locality.

A canoe maker in Sibuan Island

A traditional sampang (canoe) maker in Sibuan Island

A canoe - a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, pointed at both bow and stern and open on top,

This canoe is propelled by the use of paddles by one person.

Paddles may be single-bladed or double-bladed.

The log canoe dugout from a single piece of log.

Building a lepa boat at Pulau Sibuan.