IV Thursday, May 15, 2008
he United Nations celebrates an Earth This event was organised to by the resort’s
T Day each year on the March equinox, a
tradition which was founded by peace
activist John McConnell in 1969. A second
Earth Day, which was founded by U.S. politician
Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in
the late 1960s, is celebrated in many countries
each year on April 22.
In conjunction with this event, The Pacific
Sutera marked the Earth Day celebration 2008
with tree planting at the Sutera Harbour Resort.
Earth Day
OPINION
SABAH, LAND BELOW THE WIND, a land of nat-
ural beauty and diversity.
We say this when we introduce our State to
our tourists. We are very proud of this fact and
will never grow tired of expounding on our beau-
tiful countryside, our rainforests and the fauna
that live within.
We extol the beauty of our rivers, our water-
falls, our mountains and the friendly beautiful
people that inhabit our land.
However, blanket promotion of our tourism
product may be too general at times and there
may be time when we have to introduce our
tourism products by the district.
Each district in the State has something inter-
esting to share with tourists. There are the tradi-
tions of the ethnic majority in that area, the natu-
ral attractions and also their festivals. These can
be the main products. The other side products,
although no less important is the handicrafts, the
foods, the costumes and the local agricultural
produce.
Social Activist, Datuk Patrick Sindu, concurs
with the idea and believe that each district have
its own identity that can be promoted as tourism
products.
“In Sabah, each district is unique due to the
diverse ethnic group residing within the State.
One ethnic group may be the main population of
a certain district, so the main cultural festival in
that area may be different from another district
where the majority of the residents are of anoth-
er ethnic group.”
According to him, this festival and the cultural
as well as traditional norms of that group can be
picked as the main tourism attraction, to be pro-
Community Involvement efforts are diversely
Human Resource Department to raise broader
awareness of ecological among their associ-
ates in line with one of their corporate core val-
ues ‘Protecting the Environment’.
The Earth Day celebration saw approximate-
ly 200 associates of Sutera Harbour Resort par-
ticipate in a ‘Gotong Royong’ to clean the
resort and planting trees to show their spirit of
Community Involvement, which is among one
of the resort’s core values. Sutera Harbour’s
Promoting tourism
by the district
moted actively on the tourism market.
Tambunan where the bamboo festival and the
Harvest Festival are celebrated annually may be
a good example of what he means as well as
Beaufort where the Adau Janang Gayuh celebra-
tion is held due to the majority of Bisaya there
and of course the Kalimaran in Tenom, a Murut
celebration. It must be stressed that there are
many other ethnic groups living in those areas,
who participate in the main celebration, through
exhibitions and cultural performances.
Patrick stresses, “This is not to say that the
minority is sidelined. They too should be pro-
moted with the larger group. Their handicrafts
and food as well as agricultural produce can be
promoted especially during cultural festivals.”
“In fact, the ethnic minority can hold their own
celebrations especially if they are involved in the
homestay programme. This will add flavour to
their homestay packages.”
On how to promote tourism of the ‘grassroot’
level such as ethnic festivals and celebrations as
well as natural attractions, he says that the peo-
ple’s representatives and community leaders
have major roles in this task.
“The State Assemblyman on his rounds and
interaction with the people should identify
tourism products in his constituency. For
focused in the areas of humanities and health
with the greatest emphasis placed on charity.
Their associates are encouraged to be civic
minded in their efforts to support community
and charitable organisations.
Also present to plant the trees to mark the
Earth Day were Ravindran Kathiravelu, Chief
Operating Officer of Sutera Harbour Resort and
the Executive Committee Members of the
resort.
By ANNA VIVIENNE
instance, he should take note of the natural
attraction in the countryside or villages and
encourage his constituents to take part in the
homestay programme.”
“He should also look at the handicrafts being
produced there and talk to the people about pro-
moting and of course selling that in a centralised
market together with the main agricultural pro-
duce of that area. The agricultural produce can
be fruits or crops like maize, potatoes, tapioca
and bananas among others. They don’t have to
be sold in its natural condition ether; they can be
processed and sold in processed forms. Other
than that, local cakes and biscuits can also be
sold.”
“Of course he must make sure that these pro-
grammes and projects are available to every-
body. To ensure this, he must make sure that all
the villages in his constituents have serviceable
roads besides other basic amenities such as
water and electricity supply.”
“When all these are in place, then he can pro-
mote his area as a tourism destination. He can
select an identity for his district and coin that in
every promotion.”
Patrick concedes that this is a tough mission,
but the assemblyman does not have to work on
his own in this task. He can form a committee to
look into this project, but he has to monitor the
process carefully so that the people will benefit
fully.
“Promoting tourism by the district in the State
is an excellent idea but this needs concerted
efforts by those concerned such as the assem-
blyman for that area and his officers as well as
enthusiastic cooperation from the people.”
c m y k
New Sabah Times V
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How t o gr u b for grubs
Upon finding the grubs big enough,
they will then cut open the trunk and
grub through the mushy inside. Usual-
ly they will be rewarded with fat wrig-
gly grubs.
Sago grubs are usually boiled with
other items, like spring onions and
tender manioc leaves. These grubs
can also be fried or skewered and
roasted over a slow charcoal fire. They
are quite delicious, but it is an
acquired taste.
In Kuala Penyu, the locals say the
sago grub is just one of the foods they
usually eat and they are quite adept at
preparing them. This grub is of the
Rhynchophori Dae family.
Apparently the people of Papua,
New Guinea, also like eating Sago
grubs and often boil or roast them over
an open fire. Their edible sago grub
however is of the Rhynchophorus fer-
he Sago palm is a very useful the Kadazandusun-Murut community.
T
rungineus genus.
tree. It can be on par with the These grubs, known in the Dusun
They look the same, except theirs
coconut tree in its usefulness. tongue as ‘Butod’ is usually harvested look a bit greenish.
The leaves can be used for roofs, the from felled and decayed sago trunk. Anyway, if you are operating a
branches can be used to make con- In my community, the damaged homestay and you may want to show
tainers of every kind; for paddy, for trunk of the sago is left for the adult your tourists how to grub for grubs,
rice and for catch or games. You can beetles to live in and inevitably lay these are the actions you can take.
even make a chicken coop from it. their eggs. They are left undisturbed
The bark can be used to make for at least a couple of month.
walls and floors, with the pith can be After that the people will go and
used as food. see whether the grubs are big enough
Extract edible starch from the pith to harvest. They do this by listening to
and you have sago to make into pan- the trunk. They put their ears close to
cakes, ambuyat (edible gum!) and the trunk and listen for scratching
snacks. sounds. They will then determine
However, that is not the only food whether the grubs are big enough to
item that could be garnered from this harvest or not.
plant. There is the grub. If they want to make doubly sure,
Sago grubs are popular with the they will cut open a section of the rot-
natives in Sabah, especially among ting trunk and look inside.