CHRISTMAS LIGHT ON THE CROSS AT TIVUNG OVERLOOKING PENAMPANG PLAINS

 

This was how I saw the cross at night for the first time,

after Banie and his group has installed the Solar-LED lights

Christmas Eve was special for the year 2013 when the Penampang residents saw a bright cross on a hill they named as "Salip" which means cross in Kadazan anyway.
Even the Editor of Daily Express quickly rang me to take a picture and find out about the story behind it, which was rather easy.

I went to Taman Tanaki and the first grocery shop I went into at 9pm was staffed by a cute Kadazan girl who happened to be the niece of the man who installed the lights on the gigantic hardwood cross on Salip Hill.

So after a quick phone call, I introduce myself to a man I would admire for all his activities and technical expertise, a young Engineer Adrian Banie Lasimbang.

According to him, the idea to light up salip tivung this year came during christmas carols at our training centre in Nampasan about a week ago. Our centre is called Centre for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technologies (CREATE). Residents around Nampasan and Tanaki are very concerned about the hill cutting activity that threatens this historical landmark of Penampang.

We thought it is best to attract attention of the public to this almost forgotten cross at tivung and in the same time share the light of christmas to the people of Penampang by lighting up this cross. Youths from Tanaki and Nampasan used to go to tivung during christmas eve and light itup using colored light and generator. It have been more than15 years since we last did that.

 

So our Non Profit Organisation called TONIBUNG or Tobpinai Ningkokoton Koburuon Kampung based in Nampasan designed this solar powered LED lights. We then gathered volunteers to help with the installation. The system cost about RM 3000 and the materials are gathered from scrap and solar equipment are donated by my company Penampang Renewable Energy Sdn. Bhd. The current system we installed is very small and can only last for 4 hours max

We wish to make the lights more permanent, so if we can pass the hat around and get enough donations we can design a slighty bigger solar PV system that can last longer.

 

So I hope all those with spare cash can donate to this gentleman and his group so that next hear 2014, we light up the whole of that hill, hoping that it would still be standing by then.

 

I have talked to the land owner of Salip, Datuk Gregory Joitol and he said that permission WAS NEVER NECESSARY for anyone to climb the hill, for their pilgrimage as it was a place for the Good Friday prayers before, and even to put on Christmas Lights. Sadly however, he informed me that there is nothing he could do to preserve the hill since all the land in front of his land facing Penampang have been converted to CL title and sold to Sarawakian developer who will built high rise housing areas. Their project includes harvesting the clay soil for earthfilling other projects and that created a steep earth cliff near the boundary of his land.

 

The rain and natural elements will cause his land to collapse and the hill will be gone too, he said.

Although he does not mind the Cross to be relocated further into his land, however the height will be lower and so the original SALIP landmark will be gone maybe in two years time.

 

NO WONDER I myself simply had no mood this Christmas, felt depressed and I thought it was that stupid weather this month which has been raining every evening without fail and causing a muddy mess around my house.

 

Now I know the reasons. Our country is one where development is for greeeeedy profit only. All those people involved viz developers and those in power giving the approval could not care about anything else.

Everything in their path including important and famous landmarks, iconic trees, rivers, streams and the environment in general are simply BULLDOZED for the sake of their CONDOMiniums, hotels, shopblocks and offices.

 

In other developed countries, the authorities will insist that for any new development, the project owners must first identify all important historical landmarks and environmental factors such as major drainage rivers, and then design the projects to fit into these existing factors.  NOT so in Malaysia, the land of the boleh boleh. Everything boleh so long as the palms are greased.  In the words of a well known person....

 

ADA PULUS ADA LULUS ..... !!!!

 

Here are some pics for you to enjoy.

 

 The Salip as photographed with a Tele lens from Kg Tanaki, Penampang

 The Salip showing the hill cutting by the developer. Notice the smaller white cross near the boundary which used to serve as one of the STATIONs of the Cross prayer location.



Adrian's volunteers carrying the equipments up the hill to Salip

 



 

 

 Adrian and his gang fixing the lights

 

The solar cell, battery and control system at the back of the cross

 

Adrian Banie Celebrates on the success of his handiwork

 

Cheers Banie and Gang

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2014.

 



Just the best photo I manage to take during the KSS Launch of their first Kadazan Dictionary

Kurup unwrapping the dictionary from the siga cloth

 

 

 

President of KSS Datuk Marcel Leiking holding the dictionary together with the rest of the VIPs

Pre-launch Press Conference from Left to Right on 18 Dec 2013
Sitting
1. Blasius Binjua 2. Datuk Marcel Leiking 3. Sylvester Disimon 4. Freddy Ekol

Standing
1. Benedict Malanjm 2. Hj Hamdan Suarah 3. Bartholomew Jingulam 4. Adelaide Cornelius

====================

As requested by a commenter on this blog, here are the phone contacts if you wish to buy a copy of this dictionary, as per the press release given by the President of KSS.

 

 

KSS officials to call are:

 

Freddy Ekok HP 010 9300131

Hj Hamdan Suarah  HP 019 8410005

Blasius Binjua HP 019 8816452

Helen Palait HP 016 8069889

 

KSS is yet to announce when they will offer the book at Tamu grounds, please listen to radio SabahVFM noikot vinasi for the announcement.

Another gentleman whom I met at a senior club says he is also holding several copies for sale.  Please contact Augustine Vallen M at HP 1043755788.



 

KADAZAN SOCIETY SABAH launched its first Kadazan DICTIONARY

When a language is lost, the culture is gone and the race is extinct.  That is why the new Kadazan  dictionary produced by the Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS) must be taken seriously by the owner of the language themselves.

Deputy President of KSS, Sylvester Disimon explained after the press conference for the launching of the said dictionary.  There are so few Kadazan children who can speak their mother-tongue these days and no one else is responsible apart from the parents. When a young Kadazan reporter said she could not blame her parents because they too cannot speak in the language, Disimon replied that her grandparents were then responsible.

However, with the launching of KSS new dictionary we now have a stepping stone to revive and preserve the language so rich in vocabulary because anyone including foreigners who understand English and Malay can learn the language easily, he added.

Earlier, KSS President Datuk Marcel Leiking said his greatest dream is to find the dictionary in every home in Malaysia as reference when listening to the radio Sabah VFM Kadazan section every morning, or reading any newspapers printed in Kadazan.  When KSS paid a courtesy call to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in 2010, he was supportive of the production of the new dictionary and even provided a generous allocation of RM250,000.00, he added.

The dictionary is also a means of national integration and nation building whereby it will enable the Kadazans to speak in at least three languages namely their mother tongue, the national language and English as the global language.

Meanwhile, Mr Blasius Binjua who was the leading editor and researcher said that the greatest challenge in the printing of any book is the proof reading where the printing have to be stopped in order to add words or corrections. In addition, the lack of any reference material caused sleepless nights in trying to translate the words into Malay and English. The existing dictionary compiled by the late Rev Fr. A Antonissen was used as a guide only.  Luckily several elders who are deemed as the depository of the Kadazan language were also available to assist in the research and deserved to be named. They include Wilfred Mojilis, Peter Lidadun, Pius Jokinol and Freddy Ekol who have been using the language everyday as radio announcer/producers, catechist, teacher, administrator, presenter and the illustrator was George Mokunjil.

Mr Binjua highlighted one humorous aspect of the human body illustration whereby due to the sensitivity of the Adat or customary law the most sensitive part of the body was not named but covered with a fig leaf as per the Adam and Eve fame.

Even though the Antonissen dictionary was only used as a guide, nevertheless permission were sought from the original copyright owners namely the mission church and the Australian High Commission who printed the first dictionary under the Colombo Plan.

Due to their favourable reply, the KSS is now the sole copyright owner of the Antonissen dictionary.

To the layman, the difference between the two dictionaries is only physical with addition of the Malay – Kadazan section, the grammar and illustrations and thousands of new words. However the new dictionary is produced solely by the owners of the language without any outside help, and thus generate confidence that the contents are genuinely original.

On the question why the Kadazan language is still not taught in school despite being the first to be printed in dictionary, newspapers and the Radio Sabah starting in 1954 and it was also one of the language used as the Declaration of Independence of Sabah within Malaysia, Disimon clarified that it was all due to politics and the Bundu Liwan language currently being taught in school cannot be understood by the Kadazans because it is a mixture of the native language found in Keningau, Tambunan and Ranau.

However, this should not be made an issue as the KSS would like to see all the native languages in Sabah preserved.

The new Kadazan dictionary has already been endorsed by the Education Department, the Kadazan Chair of the University Malaysia Sabah and the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka for the Malay- Kadazan section. All that is needed for the language to be taught in school is for the Kadazan community to produce more books, novels and reference materials and KSS can assist in the publication.

Blasius Binjua, who is also a prolific writer of short stories for the children program at Radio Sabah VFM Kadazan section advised other writers to use their daily experiences as inspiration to write short stories and novels. Keep all eyes, ears and mind open when attending every event including weddings, birthdays, funerals, baby showers amongst others, he said. As for successors, Binjua believed that he knows many teachers who are good in the language and when they retire, they will replace him as the writers while the young children reading his stories in the radio every Sundays will be the future Kadazan deejays and speakers. The Kadazan language is here to stay, now and forever, he concluded.

The launching of the dictionary was done at the Pacific Sutera Hotel, Kota Kinabalu on 20th December 2013.
 

TRADITIONAL SPORTS CARNIVAL IN PENAMPANG - 21st to 24th Nov 2013

This is an annual event organised by the Homestay Association of Sabah.

Chairperson of the organising committee and also the coordinator for the Homestay Association of Penampang, Mdm Evelyn Masudal, a retired school teacher ( who taught and helped me get a distinction in the English Language subject at O-level) said that this event is given full support by the Sabah Ministry of Tourism which gave partial sponsorship to the program.

The carnival is held at different venues, but for this year is held at Buhavan Square Donggongon, Penampang, while some of the traditional sports such as tug-of-war will be held at the Penampang District Council football fields.

Tourist who are staying at the homestay lodges or houses will get to experience some or all of the following attractions.
1. History, cultures and even folklores of the Sabah megalits
2. traditional games of village children
3. traditional food, cultures and dances
4. study and cultivation of herbal medicines, the late "Uncle Mok" is given much credit for this
5. herbal steam bath
6. customary and traditional dresses
7. betel nut and leave chewing
8.  handicrafts
9. Local fish species and the tradition of "tagal" or "bombon" where some rivers and streams are gazetted for natural fish breeding where fishing is totally forbidden except for one day in a year
10. Agriculture practices, including rubber tapping
11. Picnic at well known river locations with spring clear water
12. River cruises for those homestays at Kinabatangan River

 

Traditional booths at Buhavan Square, Donggongon

 

 

 

Megalit study on display

 

 

Village children from Kolopis demostrating a traditional game called 7-pebbles game

 

 

Mdm Evelyn Masudal, 2nd from left presenting prizes to one winner of the traditional food cooking competition.



INTRODUCTION TO THIS BLOG

This blog was started in order to report on any events that I am lucky enough to witness or to have taken part, and found mostly around my district of Penampang. However, subject to opportunity I may also report on any events and activities all over Sabah and even at other regions of Malaysia if I happened to be there.

These events could be tourism, sports, holiday, festivals and celebrations, talent contests and all other public events that is beneficial to this country.

The purpose is mainly publicity and to share the joys and fun of the occasions.

Cheers and happy reading.