: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.