:Deputy Minister of Defence visit Tawau

TAWAU, Deputy Minister of Defence Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop paid a visit to the 7th Malay Royal Regiment base at Hill Top road on the morning of January 19 where he was briefed on the Ops Pasir operation of the Joint Task Force (JTF2) and visited the ongoing construction of the JMF2 sites which is located within the base. Seman was accompanied by among other JMF Panglima Lieutenant General Dato’ Allatif Mohd. Noor and Brigadier General Datuk Sheikh Mohsin Sheikh Hassan, the commanding officer of JMF2. Also present was Brigadier General Datuk Liew Yun Fah, the commanding officer for the 516th Regiment of the Territorial Army. Seman also visited Semporna where a number of islands under the JMF2 were also visited. PIX shows Seman (facing camera left) with others being briefed on the construction of the JTF2 base.

: PBS Ministers visit Tanjong market

TAWAU, The problems faced by the district’s Tanjong market could all be rectified as the local authorities require to submit proposal to the Ministry of Local Government over the matter.

Assistant Minister of the Local Government Ministry Datuk Edward Yong Oi Fah after completing his visit to the market recently in a working visit withDatuk Dr. Yee Moh Chai, Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology stated that all the problems which are minor in manner can be repaired speedily and satisfy hawkers and customers.

`Minor problem as seen such as few burn out lights can be easily replaced but delay in making such rectification has caused unhappy Malaysian’, he explained.

Yong added that such replacement which only cost a small amount of money but was not done while other matter highlighted on cleanliness on the market which boils down to the management of the market’s responsibility.

`But Tawau Municipal Council also has to be responsible over these problems’, he stated citing that a sufficiently pro-active council could have easily be handled.

He stressed that local authorities are the front line defend of the government and they people would be happy if they (Local Authorities) could perform their duties well.

Yong said it is his hope that the management currently handling the market will have a different working ethic with the changing of the district’s Municipal Council and future minor problems will be a thing of the past.

He urges hawkers or the public to lodge their dissatisfaction through the council or the Party Bersatu Sabah (PBS) PKR office as he saw all the problems could be rectified by the government.

`Unlike opposition parties which could only highlight the matter but could not rectify the shortcomings unless they bare the cost of the needed work’, he added.

At the same time, Yong also urges hawkers conducting their businesses there to park their vehicles elsewhere as the insufficient parking lots located around the market could then be used by costumers and bringing better economy gain to the hawkers themselves.

At the same time he agreed that the parking lot is not sufficient in number, Yong advise the public with ideas on how to solve the parking problem to come forward to the local council to share their ideas.

He also pledge that Sri Tanjong’s PKR unit will conduct more visit to the market for inspection as a measure to speedily solve any minor problems faced.

Among those accompanying Yee during his visit to the district were Deputy Speaker, Johnny Mositon, Datuk Jahid Jahin, the Assistant Minister of Youth and Sport Sabah, State Assemblyman for Inanam YB Johnny Goh Chin Lok as well as a number of PBS’s EXCO members.

The market has been the issue used by opposition parties in undermining the management of the government.

Caption: Yong and Yee meeting the representative from the market’s management firm on the problems highlighted.

: High discipline among NS trainee praised

TAWAU, Trainees at the Nasional Service (PLKN) at San Shui camp received high praise for their well disciplined show despite only joining the program for the past one week.

Brigadier General Datuk Liew Yun Fah said this during his speech during the launching of the installation of rank and session with the deputy chairman of Nazeran last Friday held at the camp.

`I am happy with the discipline shown by participants especially during the singing of national and state anthems’, he said in the event with the 383 trainees for the three months course.

Liew cited the aim of the government to instill a sense of love for the country among the youth through this program is proven to be successful.

At the same time, Liew who is also the commander of the 516th Regiment of the Territorial Army urges youth to continue to learn what they can from the program as all the syllabus taught will be good for the youth and the country.

`The attack of the acting district police chief recently which also involve youth is a very sad incident’, he stated over the attack made against Superintenden Haji Ramli Ali Mat.

He explained that Ramli is a man who had contributed much not only to the district but to many part of Malaysia.

Touching on the installation of rank, Liew urges those receiving the rank should not take this as something to be proud off but instead it carries more responsibilities as entrusted to them.

`Remember the rank will be followed by responsibilities so do your responsibilities well’, he added.

He also said the Nasional Service program is a program meant for all Malaysian regardless of race and not aim at any particular race.

He said trainees in the program should therefore continue to practice co-operation among the various races found in the country through the program.

Liew at the same time also said many Malaysian of Chinese origin are now eager to have their children join the program as compared to the past and this was made possible from the effort by past and present leaders in channeling the proper meaning and aim of the program.

`Many such parents had come to me to ask me to help in enrolling their children into the program’, he explained.

This he added was made possible from the effort by past leaders such as Tan Sri Dato’ Lee Lam Thye who was the ex-chairman of the Nazeran committee.


Also present during the event was the camp commander Noor Azhar Borhan.


Caption: Liew installing a rank to a trainee with Azhar.

:Japanese wonder man arrived in Tawau

TAWAU, A lone Japanese man made his trip to the district on foot from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau in 13 days walk staying anywhere possible for the night along the way.

Tadashi Nagase, 52, hailing from Izumo City, located some 300 kilometer from the better known Osaka city, Japan, cited friendly villagers he met along the route he took for the 512 kilometer trip as one of the memorable event.

`There was once I was caught in a possible bad weather but I manage to find an empty hut and the nearby kind villagers permit me to use it as my shelter for an evening’, he said when met at a HASH dinner held by YB Jimmy Wong, the State Assemblyman for Sri Tanjong on the evening of January 3.

But, the trip was nothing as compared to the long list of countries he had visited and walked since 1975 at the age of 19 where he had walked for nearly 45,000 kilometers until today!

Tadashi claimed to have traveled to exotic places such as across Sahara and Kalahari deserts, Andes mountain range, Australian desert and Amazon rainforest and many countries.

To make matter more challenging, Tadashi also pulls a two wheels trolley filled with the needed essentials such as water and food on all his trips with the heaviest weight of the trolley estimated to be at around 150 kilograms depending on the nature of the trip.

`Water is the heaviest substance I have in my trolley especially when I walk through deserts’, he explained adding that the weight varies based on requirement.

Asked on his future trip after planning to go back to Japan from Tawau, Tadashi said that he is in love with forests and deserts and might plan such walk but he had yet to plan any trip at the moment.

Tadashi also said his wife is very supportive over his unusual keenness and had supported his endeavor.

`She always said go and walk when I plan my next walk’, Tadashi explained adding that he made his earning by giving talks on all his trips and had written nine books over the numerous journeys he had undertaken.

The friendly Tadashi who has two sons had traveled to counties such as China, North Thailand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Indonesia, South India, Philippine, Mongolia and Malaysia.

Caption: Tadashi (2nd from right) with Wong (right) and some friends at the dinner.

Caption: Tadashi seen as he walked through the Sahara desert pulling his trolley.

:STIA hand over contribution to three organizations

TAWAU, Three organizations became recipients from the fund collected in the charity golf event held by district’s Sabah Timber Industries Association (STIA) in a handling over of checks and goods held at the STIA office last Saturday.

Present in the handling over event was Chua Yeong Perng, the district branch chairman for STIA.

Chua, who is also the vice president of STIA Sabah presented a check each to representative from Society of the Deaf and Special Olympic Sabah worth RM30,444.25 and RM10,000 respectively while Sri Stella Visiting Board received goods worth RM20,000.

Also present during the presentation was Thomas Tiong Yong Yung, the organizing chairman for the charity golf event.

Chua said the generosity of the golfers had made the donation successful apart from a number of sponsors providing support as the event collected a total of RM60,444.25.

The event held in July was launched by Minister of Youth and Sport Sabah YB Datuk Peter Pang En Yin at Tawau Golf Club’s 18 hole course at Hot Spring.

CAPTION: Chua presenting a check to representative of the Special Olympic Sabah.

Political parties need to use alternative media

TAWAU, Political parties today need to make full use of the alternative media in the form of internet medias as an effort to continue to remain dynamic and relevant in channeling information to the general public especially among the young generation.

Assistant Minister of Youth and Sport Sabah and State Assemblyman for Tamparuli, YB Datuk Jahid Jahin said it is essential for such venture as the public need to know both side of a story and not merely relying on just one side on any issue.

Jahid who is also the president of the youth wing of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) in an interview said statistic shows that some 60 percent of young Malaysian tend to read news through alternative media such as blogs and not the current mainstream media such as newspaper, radio or television.

`We need to embrace the current technology and make use of it for the sake of the country’s wellbeing’, he added.

He congratulate the effort by the party’s of Sri Tanjong who had launched its’ own blog as an alternative in publicizing their activities as situation now demanded the usage of such blog as another mean of spreading information.

`It is a good effort and I welcome such move by the party’s Sri Tanjong’s bahagian chairman Fung Len Fui and his deputy Chong Hon Vun as messages need to be extended to the whole Malaysian at every level’, he stated.

Jahid reasoned that blogs can also be useful to obtain feedbacks from the young Malaysian surfing the net as it is the best channel for them to express their opinion on any matter.

`I am very happy with the involvement of young generation into ICT in what is now called cyber debate making our youth compatible with youth around the world’, he added.

Jahid said this during a dinner with PBS leaders of the district recently.

The PBS Sri Tanjong blog can be access at http://pbs-sri-tanjong-news.blogspot.com/ (English), http://pbs-sri-tanjong-berita.blogspot.com/ (bahasa Malaysia) and http://pbs-sri-tanjong.blogspot.com/ (Chinese).

Caption: Jahid (seated in white long sleeve shirt) with other PBS leaders of the district.

East Coast Sabah require food research lab

TAWAU, The authority is asked to seek way to solve the problem of vegetable samples taking some three months to be tested for safety purposes due to the absence of such testing lab nearby.

Councilor for the Tawau Municipal Council (TMC) Dato’ Yong Chi Fui made the request due to the long period of time needed to test the sample while the vegetable sampled would continue to be on sale to the general public.

`In three months, many would have purchased the sampled vegetable and unsafe vegetable would be well consumed before the result of the test is display so it is essential that testing period be shortened’, he stated at the full board meeting yesterday.

Yong added that there is only one such lab in the state located at kota Kinabalu and it does not bring any benefit for Malaysian living on the East Coast of Sabah.

`Sampled vegetable on sale pose a risk to consumers and I urge the necessary steps be taken by related authority to overcome the matter’, he added.

Caption: Yong.

Sri Tanjong community sport club praised for organizing sport event

TAWAU, The Sri Tanjong Community Sport Club (STCSC) received praise from Assistant Minister of Youth and Sport Sabah for continuing to organize event to promote a healthy lifestyle while enhancing co-operation between Malaysian.

Assistant Minister of Youth and Sport Sabah and State Assemblyman for Tamparuli, YB Datuk Jahid Jahin when launching the Unity cup here last Sunday held at the soccer field of Sabah Chinese High School said such an effort mirrored the effort by country in creating awareness for Malaysian to live a healthy lifestyle through involvement in sports.

`It is also an event to get young generation to use their free time for a useful purpose which will build up their physical and mental mind’, he stated in the competition.

Jahid at the same time also said that youth associations in the district need to come forward to the district’s Youth and Sport office to seek any kind of assistance from the officer-in-charge.

Earlier, STCSC chairman Fung Len Fui in his speech said the event would ensure that unity among the races in Malaysia will continue to be promoted while giving an avenue for them to enhance their soccer skills.

Caption: Jahid launching the event.

:Malaysian Chinese witnessed live firing exercise

TAWAU, Almost fifty members from various Chinese associations took part in witnessing at first hand the live firing of firearms by the 516th Regiment of the Territorial Army. The witnessing of the event came about from the invitation from the regiment’s commanding officer Brigadier Jeneral Datuk Liew Yun Fah as part of his effort to promote the territorial army to the Chinese Malaysian communities.

He said the new recruit took part in the live firing exercise held at the firing ranch of the Royal Malaysian Police ground at mile 10 Apas road which is part of the training syllabus required for new recruits to take part.

`I invite these Chinese associations to attend so that they can see what and how a life firing of weapons in particular the assault rifle usage is done to expose them’, Liew said at the event as part of his effort to encourage more Chinese to take part in joining the territorial army.

The training exercise was done on October 08.

Caption: Liew with his officers and personnel with the invited guests at the firing ranch.

: Territorial army does charity work

TAWAU, Youth are encourage to get involve in religious teaching as it is an essential thing to ensure that future generation could contribute affectively toward the development of the country.

This is important as it could help maintain the capability of the country to compete with the international communities and Malaysia with its’ people with diverse religious belief need to instill such education to the young generation.

Brigadier General Datuk Liew Yun Fah said this when he visited the Mahad Tafis Ashabisyadhid religious school at Bombalai recently citing that students of the school need to that they also need to continue to maintain a good relationship with Malaysian communities of other beliefs and not to be influenced by the racist issues now used by certain political groups.

`We in Malaysia does not have such a racial problem and we need to continue promoting such unity to ensure our country would continue to move forward and develop’, he stated.

Liew was at the school with his deputy commander Lieutenant Colonel Mohd. Samin Haji Mohd. Sih, officers and members of the 516th Regiment Territorial Army to give rice and money as part of the regiment’s effort in conducting community services.

At the same time, Liew who is the commander of the regiment also urges them to continue to play a role in helping the less fortunate and senior citizens.

The school has 84 students.

Among those present was the chairman of the JKKK Bombalai, Achok Sulong.

Caption: Liew witnessing the handling over of 20 bags of rice from Samin to Achok.