Pix 1. Luvita cutting the ribbon at Kodundungan Jetty surround by villagers and two homestay visitors.
Pix 2: Planting a tree, where she lost count how many trees she had planted while in office
Pix 3: Modelling the Sirung and Sinaging by the river.
PENAMPANG.
District Officer Luvita Koisun again urged the villagers along the
river to support the efforts by Clear and Penampang Bamboo Raft
Association to revive the Moyog River so that many useful activities can
be carried out for the benefit of themselves. She said this after
officially opened the last two river jetties built during her term of
office at the downstream end of Moyog River Sunday afternoon.
She
told all present to pass messages to all upstream of the river and in
town to stop dumping any rubbish in the drains all of which then collect
at the downstream end where the rafting festival is now held annually.
She said the efforts of the two NGOs, both led by Winnie Jimis are
recognised by the government where the seven jetties built last year
were from funds provided by the Minister of Tourism and Environment
Datuk Masidi Manjun when he officiated the festival in 2016. She
reminded on the challenge by the minister to revive the river until the
water is fit to drink and swim, however swimming may be off limits for
the time being due to the existence of vegetarian crocodiles as joked by
the villagers.
Finally
she urged all the villagers to work together to maintain the jetties
and riverbanks because many youth are now seen having a picnic there
while trying their luck with their fishing rods. In future she hoped the
Tourism Board can assist in getting all the access roads to the jetties
to be sealed.
Earlier
she had cruised on a decorated raft together with a tourism officer and
visitors from a homestay program from Digot Mini Esplanade then docked
briefly at Jetty Abula to cut a ribbon. She was informed the name
"Abula" came from an actual event during the British era where a padi
farmer crossed the river on a raft and was nearly hit by a crocodile's
tail. The farmer then challenged the reptile screaming "abula" ( surface
above the water) holding a solid wooden fence post. The story had
became a folklore of the villagers and the memory kept via the naming of
the jetty.
This
branch of the river was once a small irrigation canal dug out by padi
farmers with hoes and spades to water the fields. However the lands here
were lower and nearer to the sea and the canal got eroded and became a
river after every flooding seasons.
Luvita
then continued the cruise to the last jetty Kodundugan at Kg Sodomon
where she planted another tree species which can protect the river bank
from erosion. She was proudly received by locals from all the
surrounding villages, knowing she used to be a simple girl who once
played football for Hugunosukod Team and still walks so fast during her
inspections leaving the other officers behind. The villagers presented
her with a simple gift of "sirung" (bamboo hat) and a "sinaging" (bamboo
back pack) which she promptly modelled by the side of the river.
Also
present during the event were Edmund Jokinin from Sabah Tourism Board,
Evelyn Masudal (Homestay Leader), Adelaide Cornelius representing MCA
Datuk Francis Goh, and village chiefs James Binaji (Kg Sodomon) and
Elizabeth Mojuntin (Kg Guunsing/Sukod).
Another
event held simultaneously at Kodundungan Jetty was a fishing
competition participated by 50 young and old. However the winner was a
mere 200 gram of river fish indicating the water quality is still poor.
Even without rain and a glorious sunset at 5:30 the river water turned
brown which proved some hill cuttings are still being carried out
upstream.
