For a long time I thought that the traditional dance with the slowest rhythm and movement is of the Dusun Lotud, an indigenous group in Sabah:

But during my time in Okinawa, Japan I saw this dance, apparently known as “yotsu no take,” literally meaning “the four bamboos”:

Click here to see the video

Popularity: 1% [?]

Datuk Seri Shafie Afdal has made history by being the first ever Sabahan to be elected one of the three UMNO vice presidents, edging out his closest challenger Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin 1,445 votes to 1,397. 5th placed Datuk Dr Rais Yatim garnered a distant 491.

Probably helped by the fact that Sabah had the 2nd highest number of delegates with 325, second only to Johor.

The closest before this was in 2000 when the then CM, Datuk Osu Sukam just missed out when he finished 4th.

Both he and Khaled were supreme council members.

They were among those who received the most nominations – the others being Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein and Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Other vice presidential candidates who lost out were:
(i) Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar
(ii) Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
(iii) Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad (incumbent vice-president)
(iv) Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik (incumbent supreme council member, got the lowest number of votes: 192)

For the 25-seat supreme council, all 3 Sabahan candidates were elected in: Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman, Datuk Seri Panglima Lajim Ukin and Datuk Bung Moktar Radin.

It might not sound that impressive, but consider the fact that many big guns failed to hold on to or clinch a supreme council seat [honorifics omitted]:

(i) Azalina Othman (Tourism Minister)
(ii) Mohamad Hassan (Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar)
(iii) Abdul Ghani Othman (Johor Menteri Besar)
(iv) Mohd Isa Sabu (Perlis Menteri Besar)
(v) Adnan Yaakob (Pahang Menteri Besar)
(vi) Shahrir Abdul Samad (Domestic Trade and Consumer Minister)
(vi) Noraini Ahmad (Deputy Human Resources Minister and outgoing Puteri Umno chief)
(vii) Johari Baharum (Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department)
(viii) Hasan Malek (Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department)
(ix) Siti Zaharah Sulaiman (former Wanita Umno chief)

Earlier, Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, deputy head of Puteri UMNO and two-term Paper MP was elected the first Sabahan Puteri UMNO chief, beating out 5 other candidates: Datin Ismalina Ismail, Ida Rahayu Md Noor, Datuk Hahaniza Shamsuddin, Saarah Ali Bashah and Bibi Sharliza Mohd Khalid.

Victory must be especially sweet for her as she reportedly trailed Shahaniza and Ida Rahayu in the run-up.

In last year’s general and state elections, Sabah Umno helped win 14 of the 24 parliamentary seats won in Sabah and 32 of the 59 state seats.

So, all in all, it has been a good Umno elections for Sabahans.

P.S. I read that there were a total of 14 Sabahan candidates in the party elections – apart from the ones I mentioned above, did the others win too?

Popularity: 2% [?]

Here’s a video taken of a dog that ate the rice made to make the Sabahan alcoholic brew tapai (rice wine).

When I was small, I remember my grandparents telling me never to make fun of animals, or the ground will open up and swallow you.

These people not only did all that, they even uploaded the video to youtube in January!

I wanted to laugh but… I remembered what my granny said.

Part 1

Click here to see the videos

Popularity: 1% [?]

Most of the time people curse and swear upon finding out that the ATM they spent so much time and energy reaching turns out to be out of order.

But things happen for a reason, and sometimes events happen that remind us to count our blessings instead.

Like in the case of a young housewife, who on the evening of 18th of March 2009 had just withdrawn RM100 from an ATM in Taman Midah, Cheras and was walking towards her husband who was waiting in the car nearby.

Suddenly, 4 men in a Honda CR-V grabbed hold of her, forced her in, then blindfolded her.

Her husband did not even notice it happening.

They then drove around Cheras in a Honda CR-V on a 5-hour ride of terror, only to find every single ATM there non-operational.

At 2am, they finally gave up and dropped her off somewhere.

Of course the robbers could’ve very well harmed the lady out of anger.

Source
Bernama

… so, next time ATMs in your area act up again, don’t be so fast calling them moving services …

Popularity: 1% [?]

The original Tequila Slammer is made like this:

[Classic] ingredients:
(i) tequila, that Mexican spirit
(ii) carbonated beverage, like 7Up: (i) and (ii) in equal parts.

Steps:
(i) put all in a shot/rocks glass, leaving a fifth of the glass empty.
(ii) hold your hand over the top of the glass
(iii) slam it onto a hard surface, in order to mix it. A “successful slam” will result in the mixture to foam vigorously.
(iv) consumed the concoction immediately in one gulp; the intended result is “swift intoxication”.

Note that there’s neither lime/lemon nor salt mentioned.

However, in Sabah, it is made like this:

Ingredients [added in this order]:

(i) montoku / talak (local spirit)
(ii) a pinch of salt
(iii) the liquid off a lime (limau kasturi)
(iv) carbonated beverage, like 7Up: (i) and (iv) in equal parts.

Steps:
Same as when preparing & consuming the original Slammer, except “hard surface” is optional, you can even slam it onto your lap.

Here’s a demonstration video, taken apparently somewhere in Kiulu in January 2009, complete with the 2009 Dusun song of the Year blaring in the background:

Click here to see the video

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Dusuns are arguably Sabah’s finest songwriters and vocalists – think Asmin Mudin, Justin Lusah and John Gaisah.

They never fail to produce good songs, year in and out.

The 2009 edition of what is essentially The Dusun Song Awards (Bontugan Sinding Dusun” or “Juara Carta Pop Dusun) was held at Ranau Community Hall on 14th March 2009.

I think this is the 2nd time this was held, first time in 2007.

There were 10 finalists, the top songs at the Dusun Song Charts maintained by Sabah Vfm (the local radio station).

Some of them are truly excellent songs, I’d recommend you to give them a listen, never mind if you don’t understand the lyrics.

The finalists were:

Linda Nanuwil – Upus Tolidang

Linda, the Akademi Fantasia Season 2 (2004) runnerup wrote this song, her lead single from her first Dusun-language album released August 2008. Excellent stuff.

Studio version
Rehearsals
Live on the night

Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas – Koupusan

The 2007 Unduk Ngadau is an excellent vocalist, and songwriter to boot! This self-penned number has been around several years.

Studio version
On the night

Diana Stephen Tuning – Kada Noh Soroho

A catchy number from the D’Angels Music and Education Centre manager, the 2005 Sugandoi runnerup.

On the night

Benn Simon Bukag – Bisorou Mamatos Kolungguyan

Now this guy (on the left of the pic above) has what I think is the best Sabahan male singing voice of the last few years.

Studio version
Rehearsals
On the night

Danny F. Malinggi – Kada Oku Sundualai

Another excellent self-penned song; this is one of the best Dusun songs I’ve ever heard: one listen, you’re hooked: it’s that catchy. I wonder why I never noticed it when it ruled local airwaves in 2003.

Noveson Galuan – Polombusan Ku Suang Ginawo

John Dautis – Piupusan Di Kosusuni

Leonard Sentia – Insasamadai Kolungguian Ku

This guy has a very distinctive voice.

S. Welly – Pogiroto Do Ginawo

Nokuro 29 – Nokuro Tuh

The only group to make the final.

Winners:

“Juara Carta Lagu Dusun” (essentially Dusun Song of the Year) – Benn Simon Bukag’s Bisorou Mamatos Kolungguyan

Best Performance – Leonard Sentia

Most Popular Dusun Song (determined via SMS) – Leonard Sentia

Best Vocals – Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas

Ref:
Dbos-fm

Popularity: 14% [?]

As far as Papier Mache is concerned, the concert went quite well, except for some sound problems in at least one song.

It turned out that they, with 5 songs, performed the most songs of all acts that night – headliner Stacy AF6 only performed 2 songs (Aku Stacy and Gagap) and I think so did Felix, Lotter and Ivye Alexandra.

Photo-time with a fan after the concert:

Amateur videos of all 5 songs, in order of performance:

Hint: if I were to recommend one song, it would be “Matai Patai Do Masi“.

Click here to see the videos

Popularity: 1% [?]

UPDATE 6th May 2009

Ben Southall, 34 of Great Britain gets the job, defeating 15 other finalists and the total of 34,000 applicants.

————————————-

UPDATE 25th March 2009

She ended up in 25th place with 2,815 votes.

Perennial leader Clare of Taiwan finished first with more than 151,000 votes, almost triple 2nd placed Mitchell of Canada at 55K+.

The final 11 applicants will be announced by Tourism Queensland on 2nd April 2009.

————————————-

What was advertised as the best job the world was announced in January 2009.

More than 34,000 people from about 200 countries applied, including 180 Malaysians.

Only one person will get the job, slated to start 1st July 2009.

Now it’s down to the final 50 candidates.

One of them, and the only Malaysian, is a Sabahan: Jackie Miao.

If she gets the job, apart from the obvious advantage to her, it will also be a tremendous boost for Sabah’s, and of course Malaysia’s international tourism profile.

The others in the final 50 are from Taiwan (1), Russia (1), Canada (7), Ireland (1), USA (6), Singapore (2), France (2), Korea (2), Netherlands (2), New Zealand (1), China (2), India (2), Kenya (1), United Kingdom (4), Australia (6), Germany (2), Greece (1), Sweden (1), Indonesia (1), Japan (3), Guam (1).

Out of the 50 candidates, 10 candidates would be selected by a panel made up of people from Tourism Queensland.

I don’t know if she’s part of the 10.

However, possibly to add to the drama, the organisers decided to have an eleventh candidate, a “wild card” selected by popular vote via the job’s website.

There, one can view the candidates’ videos and can vote for them once every 24 hours, until 24th March 2009.

This is Jackie’s video [all applicants were required to submit a 1 minute long video introducing themselves and explaining why they should get the job]:

Click here to see the video

Popularity: 1% [?]

This was first mentioned by the sharp eyes of Bebek on the 16th of February 2009.

He said he saw Mount Kinabalu in the DVD of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo IV (released 25th January 2008), the top rated Rambo film ever, 7.4/10 at IMDB, as decided by more than 64,000 voters.

It was made with a budget of USD50 million and so far the total gross revenue (US, worldwide and DVD sales) is more than USD154 million. Filming was between 23 February 2007 and 4 May 2007, in reportedly Thailand, Mexico and the USA.

At first I didn’t believe that it was really our Kinabalu even after viewing the video footage on youtube [at 4:53], but after viewing the DVD, I was flabbergasted.

The primary reason is the angle of the footage matched exactly my view of the mountain from my home in Tamparuli. I have gazed at the mountain and its surrounding areas for many many years, so I was very sure what it looks like.

I was at the village during the weekend but could not take any photo due to thick clouds obscuring my view.

But consider this photo taken by arguably Sabah’s top photographer, Louis Pang on 3rd May 2006 while onboard a yacht enroute to Mantanani Island. Yes it’s taken from sea, but consider the silhouette of the mountain:

Click here to read the rest of the article

Popularity: 2% [?]

Odoi Odu (Oh Grandmother) won the grand prize of the second edition of the ASTRO Kirana Short Film Awards 2008/2009, defeating 9 other finalists, bagging RM100,000 worth of a feature length movie production budget, RM5,000 cash and a trophy. Other than that, the short film was showcased to 2.4 million households in Malaysia, Indonesia & Brunei.

Some screenshots

The competition was organised by Astro Kirana for budding Malaysian filmmakers:

It is part of Astro’s long term vision and commitment to nurture up and coming talents in film-making by providing a platform for them to showcase their creation. We hope to build a sustainable pool of talent to elevate the quality of our local film industry to be at par with global standards. The competition is open to all filmmakers including the industry’s professionals, practicing filmmakers, students, as well as free-lance directors.

It was directed, produced, screenwritten, cinematographed, edited, sounded and art directed by Farizie Morinding of Kg Lohan, Ranau, Sabah.

In other words, a one-man video production company using apparently only Windows Movie Maker as editing software defeated national all-comers in his first attempt!

Click here to read the rest of the article

Popularity: 2% [?]