Joe, the baby elephant is well and healthy

Joe, the baby elephant

KOTA KINABALU: The orphaned baby elephant rescued from a herd of 13 that were found dead in Tawau appears well and healthy at the Lok Kawi Wildlife park here.

It was renamed "Joe" as its earlier name "Kejora" was considered feminine by the team from the Sabah Wildlife department Rescue Unit who are tasked to look after the male Bornean Pygmy elephant round the clock for at least two more weeks.

Since Joe was found next to its dead mother on Jan 25, it was looked after by members of the unit who thereafter brought it from the scene near the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve about 130km from Tawau and transported to the park where it could be better monitored.

Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Musa bin Haji Aman

Meanwhile Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman ordered the State Wildlife Department and Forestry Department to thoroughly investigate the death of the elephant.

“This is unacceptable. The culprits must be brought to justice,” he said adding that the State Government viewed this matter seriously as Bornean Pygmy elephants were an endangered species.

He said that these elephants were part of Sabah’s rich and exotic wildlife and should therefore be protected.

“People come from all over the world just to catch a glimpse of these animals.  It is unfortunate that there are people who would resort to such a horrific act, “ he said.

Source: New Straits Times

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590 HECTARES EXCISED FROM FOREST RESERVE

  OVER 3,000 people residing in 13 villages within the Gumantong-Guluang-Gesusu Forest Reserve Class 1 have reason to smile now that the State Legislative Assembly has approved an amendment to de-gazette the status of the forest.

Matunggong Assemblyman Sarapin Magana, who welcomed the decision, said it would enable long-standing land applications by the villagers to be processed by the Land and Survey Department and local authorities.
"I am very grateful to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman for being concerned for the need of the villagers to occupy 590 hectares in the three areas.

"De-gazetting the three areas in the forest reserve is really good news and timely to the 3,500 villagers because they strongly believe they have native customary rights on the land as they have been living there for many generations.

"Also, they have been toiling the land for so long by planting rubber, coconut trees and oil palm and have been enjoying the harvests.

In addition, they have built their family homes and ancestral burial grounds in the three areas," he said.

Sarapin said this after the approval of the amendment to de-gazette the Gumantong-Guluang-Gesusu Forest Reserve Class 1, Wednesday.

The 590 hectares have been de-gazetted for the purpose of agriculture and settlements. These areas are found not suitable to be retained as Forest Reserves as the areas are titled land, occupied by settlers and have been degraded.

"Actually the area was gazetted as Forest Reserve Class 1 in 2007. However, the villagers only realised that they are living inside the forest reserve belonging to the State Government, last year," said Sarapin.

"Therefore, they submitted their objection to me as the elected people representative and sought help to bring out the 13 villages from the forest reserve on the grounds that they have been living there for so many years.

"Together with Kota Marudu MP Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili, I highlighted the issue to the Assembly last year to de-gazette and the Government agreed to do so in the same year," he said.

However, Sarapin said the matter was not yet discussed as a Bill at the sitting last year and he explained to the villagers that the process would take some time.

Unfortunately, the opposition played the issue up to fish for votes by claiming that the Government wanted to grab the land from the villagers.

"On behalf of the villagers, thank the government for its concern for the needs of the locals in line with the 1Malaysia concept: People's First, Performance Now," Sarapin said. 

 Source: Daily Express

 Photo: malaysiansmustknowthetruth

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Sabah will dish out perks to attract FDIs

The Sabah State Government says it remains committed to driving the state’s economic growth with the offer of various incentives for foreign investments while ensuring a conducive investment environment.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman (picture) said the flow of foreign investments had continued to see a positive trend, clearly reflecting investors’ confidence in the state’s economic fundamentals and prospects as well as its political stability and level of security.

“In the first quarter this year, Sabah received RM10 billion — the highest amount of private investments compared with other states.

“Apart from that, as of September 30, the amount of cumulative investments in the private sector, under the Sabah Development Corridor projects, had reached RM114 billion since its launch in 2008,” Musa Aman said.

The CM said this in his speech at the state awards and medals ceremony held in conjunction with the 59th birthday of Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin at the state palace here today.

Musa said the state had also spent a total of RM1.136 billion from the RM1.39 billion allocated to it under the Ninth Malaysia Plan and the 10th Malaysia Plan. He said the state also saw a 15.7 per cent rise in the number of foreign tourists during the January to July period this year, with a total of 541,552 visitors, compared with 467,924 tourists seen in the same period last year. “In the second roll out of the 10th Malaysia Plan, Sabah was also allocated RM4.376 billion to carry out 743 projects in 2012.

“As of September 21, RM1.971 billion or 45.1 per cent of the 2012 allocation had been spent to finance development projects implemented in Sabah.”

He said the state government was confident that the success in attracting private and foreign investments into the state was clear proof of the state’s conducive environment to attract high impact investments with greater economic prospects.

Musa said the state government was also committed to ensuring that all development programmes for Sabah under the 2013 Budget are implemented including the standardising of goods prices, opening of 1 Malaysia retail shops and the expansion of padi space in Kota Belud.

He also said the state government took pride in the AAA rating given to the state by Rating Agency Malaysia (RAM) for four consecutive years.

Apart from the foreign investments and tourists, the state has also welcomed high powered delegations including senior leaders from China and the latest being the visit from Britain’s royal couple, The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, he said. Sabah world class biodiversity and heritage wealth of flora and fauna has showcased through international media coverage featuring lush natural environment. This has further reflected the positive image of Sabah in the world map — Bernama

Source: themalaysianinsider

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