DISTRICT OFFICER LUVITA KOISUN OPENS LAST TWO JETTIES AT LOWER MOYOG RIVER

 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.