Be extra alert when....

During this festive seasons, when answering the call of nature be extra careful and soberly alert. If not you will read about yourself in the local newspapers as what happened to a tourist in Australia.

Surfing the a London tabloid today I found this story which I reproduced in toto below.



A MAN almost died when he stopped for a roadside toilet break and was bitten by a deadly snake - on the end of his manhood.

The poisonous brown snake darted between his legs and dived at his penis as he crouched on the roadside near Cairns, Australia, before fleeing.

Emergency workers rushed to the scene and wrapped the man's member in plastic in case it was infected with poison.

But the tourist - suffering from a wound, vomiting and stomach pain - was given the all clear after tests.

An ambulance spokesman, who described the victim as "lucky," said: "It certainly had a swipe at him.

"But it didn’t envenomate him. As it came through it must have got a bit of a shock.

"I think he was a bit shocked and embarrassed."

Long weekend

The weekend rest days for Sabah begin tomorrow, Friday May 30 until Sunday June 1. May 30-31, are Public Holiday in Sabah to celebrate the Kaamatan (Harvest) Festival, the annual celebrations of the Natives of Sabah, the Land Below the Wind.

The Dayak in Sarawak, too, will celebrate its Gawai (Harvest)Festival on June 1 & 2 and it look like a long rest days also for my friends in the Land of the Hornbills.

Kotobian Tadau Tagazo do Kaamatan (Happy Harvest Festival).

One Up For Kurup

One of the two candidates rejected in the Pensiangan parliamentary constituency in the March 8, general election, who had filed election petition seeking to disqualify Tan Sri Joseph Kurup's victory without a contest, had withdrawn his petition today.

However, Independent Saineh Usau has to wait until June 17, this year when his application to withdraw would be heard by High Court Judge David Wong Dak Wah in the Kota Kinabalu court.

The petition filed by Usau, whose nomination papers was rejected by Returning Officer Bubudan OT Majalou, was brought up for mention today to fix date of hearing but his lawyer Arthur Bonnie informed the court that his client had instructed him not to proceed with the petition.

With Usau's withdrawal, Kurup, who is now Federal Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister, still have to face the petition filed by Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) Danny Andipai.

Andipai's petition was also mentioned today to fix dates of hearing. The judge fixed June 17, this year for hearing of a preliminary objection to the petition by Kurup and the Returning Officer.

Should the objection is rejected, hearing was fixed for three days beginning July 9.

In today hearing, Kurup who is Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president was represented by Counsels Alex Decena, Hajah Mariati Robert and Wilson Lai.

Senior Federal Counsels Azizah Nawawi and Amarjeet Singh represented the Returning Officer in both petitions.

Two Big Kaamatan Do on May 31

The Sabah Government-sponsored State-level Kaamatan (Harvest) Festival will be held at Hongkod Koisaan (Kadazandusun Cultural Association HQ) at Jalan Penampang, near Kota Kinabalu on May 30 and 31. This is to mark the end of a month-long celebrations which started in Beaufort on May 1st.

And yet there is another Kaamatan Festival, a big one, at Padang Merdeka, Kota Kinabalu on May 31. This one is a National-level celebrations organised by the Federal Government.

Look like there is a competition of sort this time around in the celebrations. But I assume nobody will be complaining. Given the lack of parking space at Hongkod Koisaan, the Padang Merdeka will be an alternative.

As May 31 will be the ending of this celebrations, I hope to visit both places before heading home.

To my visitors Kotobian Tadau Tagazo Kaamatan (Happy Harvest Festival).

Potter's Star Dead

Robert (right) with brother Jamie (left) and mother Sally (centre)

This news is from the News Of The World

Harry Potter star stabbed to death
Robert Knox died saving brother
By Daniel Sanderson & Carole Aye Maung


HARRY POTTER star Robert Knox was stabbed to death desperately trying to protect his little brother, the News of the World can reveal.

Robert, 18, waded in to defend 16-year-old Jamie after they and a group of friends were confronted in a bar by a crazed attacker armed with two knives.

One pal revealed: "Jamie idolised his brother. This is going to be unbearable for him. "They went everywhere together and did everything together."

The brothers were so close that when Robert completed his scenes as Marcus Belby for Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince just two weeks ago Jamie was there watching proudly on the set.

Another pal said: "Rob's best chat-up line was, ‘I'm in Harry Potter'. He used to take us down to the set. I can't even think of watching the film now."

Last night, Robert's pals told how his sobbing mother cradled her dying son.

Tarik Ozresberoglu, 17, described how shattered Sally Knox rushed to the scene and got there before the ambulance. Police allowed her inside a hastily-erected cordon and she knelt by his side "crying and crying".

Another friend, builder Scott Shorter, 18, described how he held Robert in his arms before Sally arrived, begging him to stay alive. He said the pals were due to go on holiday to Greek isle Zante in three weeks.

Robert's death outside the Metro Bar in Sidcup, Kent, came exactly two weeks after altar boy Jimmy Mizen had his throat cut in Lee, just five miles away.

Incredibly, both Robert and Jimmy, 16, played for Sidcup Rugby Club, though it is not clear if they were friends.

Witnesses said the Knox brothers became caught up in the frenzied attack after a man accused one of their pals of stealing a mobile phone.

Lee Howard, 19, a friend of Robert who saw the trouble, said: "We were in the bar, just having a drink on a Friday night as normal, when word went round that someone was coming down, tooled up with knives.

"We told the bouncers on the door but they told us not to worry.

"Then two black men in an Audi A3 turned up outside. The bouncers didn't seem to search them and let them into the bar.

"It kicked off straight away. One of them went up to Jamie and said, ‘I'm going to get you. I'm going to slit your throat.'

"This man threw a chair at Jamie and a big fight erupted. We were all just trying to get the knife off him.

"It all spilled outside the bar. We got the man in the bushes but he pulled out another knife.

"He had one in each hand and was just lashing out. There must have been six people who he stabbed. It was terrible." His accomplice fled.

One of their group, 21-year-old Dean Saunders, is thought to have been stabbed three times on the left side of his neck.

He was "serious" in hospital last night but his condition was not thought to be life-threatening.

Andrew Dormer, 16, was stabbed in the chest but released from hospital yesterday afternoon to join well-wishers laying flowers at the murder scene.
Other pals of the Knox brothers hurt in the incident were Nick Jones, 19, who was stabbed in the hand, and Charlie Grimley, 17, cut in the cheek and arm and Tom Hopkins, 18, struck on the back of the head.

It was Tom, who plays for Southend United's youth team, and Tarik who wrestled the attacker in the bushes.

The brave pair struggled with him for six minutes before police arrived.

Tom said: "Tarik rugby-tackled him and he fell into the bushes. I jumped on him. Tarik Pal Nick Jones was stabbed in the hand was shouting, ‘I've got the knife' but I didn't realise the bloke had got two knives." Showing his wounds from the struggle, Tom added: "He gashed the back of my head. We just wanted to get the knives off him. It was chaos.

"I walked round the corner and burst into tears. I saw Rob lying on the ground face-up. He was covered in blood."

Tarik said that after he was stabbed "Rob stumbled back and lifted up his top and I saw blood." Tarik ripped off his friend's jumper and tried to stem the bleeding.

But Robert, thought to have three stab wounds to the chest, was pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, shortly before 1am yesterday.

Tom added: "Rob was just trying to help out. He was like that."

Nick Jones told of the chilling moment the knifeman turned to him and made reference to his relatively minor wound, saying: "He said, ‘You're lucky—it's not your day'."
Pal Tom wrestled knifeman Talented Robert had appeared in a number of TV shows including The Bill and Tonight With Trevor McDonald.

But his career had really started to blossom after he was picked for a role in the movie version of Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince. His character is Ravenclaw student Marcus Belby, whose uncle Damocles invented the Wolfsbane Potion in the books by J K Rowling. The film is released in November.

Just five years ago, aged 13 and weighing 13st, Robert was bullied mercilessly. That intensified when he became a star of Channel 4 reality show Trust Me, I'm A Teenager.

In an interview with our sister paper, The Sun, four years ago Robert spoke movingly about the trauma. He said: "It got so bad I dreaded going into school.

"They used to push me and beat me up in the corridor or outside in the school grounds. I started really hating myself. I didn't like what I saw."

In the same interview mum Sally, 49, revealed: "On one occasion Rob phoned me. He was in tears and begging not to have to go back to school.

HURT: Pal Charlie
"As I was trying to calm him down, one of the boys threw a glass bottle and it hit him on the head. That was the last straw. After that happened we decided he should move school."
Robert switched to Beths Grammar School in Bexley where he got three A-levels. In September 2004, Robert took part in an episode of the Trevor McDonald show focusing on child obesity.

More than a hundred people, many sobbing and some who were injured in the knife frenzy, turned up at the murder scene to pay their respects to Robert yesterday afternoon.

Many laid flowers at the spot where the young actor lay bleeding to death.

One tribute read: "We tried our best to stop it. We will never forget you, mate. Love always, Tom, Jack, Pav, Tarik."

Robert's grieving parents Sally and Colin, of nearby Swanley, issued a statement saying: "Rob was kind and thoughtful and would always help out others. He would always spend his last penny on other people instead of himself. The life and soul of the party, he was very outgoing, loved sports and would always strike up a conversation with people.

"He was respectful to others and adored by all his family and friends. He was an asset to the family."

The youngster's uncle Kevin May, 42, said: "Rob was such a decent young man.

"We're all shattered. His family are in bits, they're devastated. Where's it all going to end? When is this violence by young people going to stop?" Shadow Home Secretary David Davis told the News of the World last night: "Tragically, these kinds of horrific incidents have become all too common.

"Lax law enforcement and mixed messages on drugs and binge-drinking have left the public less safe. We need an overhaul, at every level, to tackle this scourge on our streets."

And new London mayor Boris Johnson said: "It's outrageous and clearly unacceptable that anyone can cause such misery and carnage.

"My heart goes out to the family and I swear to them and all Londoners that tackling this menace will be my utmost priority as mayor."

Warner Brothers, who make the Harry Potter movies, said: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by the news. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Robert's family."

A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out tomorrow.

Carl Bishop, 21, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and was in custody last night.

Horror of Girlfriend
ROBERT'S former girlfriend last night called him "the love of my life."

Devastated Elice Buck sobbed: "I have cried and cried all I can since I got the phone call and it still hasn't sunk in.

Elice at the scene
"I just can't believe I will never see Rob again. I will never see his cheeky smile or hear his voice.
"He was such a special person. It all just seems like a bad dream. This sort of thing always seems to happen to the good guys."

Elice, 18, went on: "He was convinced he was going to be a star and we all knew he would be too.

"The thing I loved about him the most was that he was so talented, yet modest with it."

She added: "I wish I had been there because maybe I would have been able to calm things down and Rob would still be here."

The Poker Game

Got this one from one of my blogger's friend which I like to share with my regular visitors.


The Poker Games

Its a poker game really, if you ask me. 5 main players;
1. The Incumbent
2. The Hopeful
3. The De facto
4. The Royalty
5. The Ex-

Three cards opened, one more card to play. The Incumbent has an open pair and its his call. He calls. The Ex challenges, so he's in but ups the Incumbent. Next The Royalty follows, so too the De facto and The Hopeful.

The Incumbent is playing to stay. Seems like the Ex is going for broke. The Royalty is hoping for a Royal Flush, the De facto, a Full House, and The Hopeful is just hopping that everyone is calling a bluff.
So who has the joker? We have to wait and see. The greatest poker game yet!

Therefore
- you can't win if you don't play the game
- don't play if you are not of the same league
- if you play, play to win
- play within the stipulated rules.

Finally....

Telekom finally detected the fault why my telephone line was `dead' since a week ago. They told me that it was caused by water leaking into the extension box half kilometer from my house.

At first I was told it was caused by wire `eating each others' in the phone wiring in my house. Yesterday, I was at my weekend retreat `Kiansom Water' call when Telekom technician called that he was checking the line and wanted to come to my house. I waited till 5pm but no call. When I reached home, I found that the line was back.

My Say:

If they had really checked immediately after receiving my complain, I would had not waited for a week to get my line back. Just make me wonder, why wait till Sunday (a holiday) to repair.

Knock out

Again I am cut off from the outside world. My fixed line had been dead for 5 days now. Complained to 100 but till now my phone still is silent. Cannot post much from this mobile. I hope my line will be fixed today.

PKR to Protest

Opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat will go all out to protest and stop the relocation of illegal immigrants from Labuam to Kampung Kionsom, Inanam.

PKR Sabah deputy liaison chairman Daniel John Jambun said he and friends will surely organise a big demonstration to show to the world that illegals are not welcome in Kampung Kionsom.

"I am willing to be jailed if that it take to champion the people's rights," Jambuan said.

He said Kampung Kionsom is next to his village, Kampung Bambangan, Inanam.

Jambun statement on this issue is published in the Daily Express of today's edition. I am yet to hear comments from Inanam Assemblyman Johnny Goh on this `mother of problem' matter.

PBS Youth Blogging

The Youth Wing of the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) will be organising a course for its members to actively go blogging, its chief Jahid Jahim said Friday.

Jahid, who is Tamparuli Assemblyman and Assistant Minister, said its best for PBS youth to know blogging as it could shape the mindset of the people.


My Say:

Now they realised the power of the blogs.

Mother of all problem

The member of Parliament for Tuaran Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing made an interesting speech while debating on the motion of thanks for the royal address in parliament in Kuala Lumpur Thursday.

He told parliament that Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohammad Nazri Abdul Aziz had on April 22, this year, announced that 366 illegal immigrants staying in Pulau Kuraman, Labuan would be issued withe IMM13 and to be relocated in Kampung Kionsom, Inanam.

Reading this part of Bumburing's speech, I almost passed out. Kampung Kionsom in my village where I was born and grew up and is still here now. Why of all place it has to be my kampung?

When the foreigners are given IMM13, its gave them a refugees status and will be allowed to stay in Sabah for as long as they like. Eventually, by dubious ways, they will be issued or get to be given MyKad which will give them the same rights as me and my fellow Sabahans, sons of the soil.

I hope this will never happened, that the 366 will stay put in Pulau Kuraman or deported to their countries of origin.

Bumburing also said that the legal or illegal issuance of identity cards to foreigners in Sabah is the mother of all the problem now faces the people of Sabah, the Land Below the Wind.

Sabahans are disappointed as there was no solution in sight to the long standing problem.

Bumburing, who is UPKO's Deputy President and was once Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, said in developing Sabah, the government faces many obstacles but the mother of all problem are the illegal immigrants and the identity cards issues.

"The Sabah Government calls for the Federal Government to take drastic action to ease Sabah from the problem caused by the illegal immigrants but it seems all were `swept under the red carpet', " he said.

"When will these problem be seriously taken care of? Do we want to see one day Sabah became the de facto Philippine country?," the MP said.

Bumburing also told Parliament that the illegal immigrants population in Sabah is almost the same as the locals.


My Say:


In fact Inanam is already not safe now. The night market is controlled by migrants, majority of them without travel documents.

Tuan......

Reading through the local newspapers, I came across a report in the Daily Express which touched on issues that my visitors had commented in Aki Momogun. It is reproduced here.

`Ketuanan Melayu' call may lead to BN's downfall: MP

By Chris Maskilone

KOTA KINABALU: Young leaders of Umno, particularly in Peninsula Malaysia, should stop provoking the feeling of non-Malays by insisting on the issue of `Ketuanan Melayu' (Malay Supremacy) as it may lead to the downfall of the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government.

United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) Vice President and BN Member of Parliament for Putatan Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh said the persistence of these `young cowboys' in Umno is not the Malaysians way.

"This is not only the way to lift the Malay race to a higher pedestal but a plain and Blatant sign of arrogance that may lead to detestation by others. To me this is not the Malay culture that I know of. I never heard of this before," he said.

Speaking at a Kaamatan Festival in Kampung Duvanson, Putatan Saturday, Mojigoh said the Malays are known to be friendly and courtesous but the action of certain leaders had spoilt this image.

Toward this end, he hope Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawiwho is Umno president would advice these leaders not to be carried away and to stop acting arrogantly.

In the context of Sabah, he said there were claims of `over a million newly created Malays' a new product imported from the Philippines and Indonesia.

"Imagine (if) you have to address these illegals as `Tuan', " he said, adding that the authorities need to address the problem of illegal immigrants gaining citizenship and acquiring this Malay status throught the back door.

And I am back again....

Looking at the date of my last posting, I realised that I had not been in front of this computer for a week. After the Kuala Lumpur trip, I went round villagers in Sabah for the Kaamatan Festival celebrations and last Sunday a wedding of a close family friend.

I was still down with the effects of celebrations yesterday but today back to normal and back in front of this computer. My mind is still blank of happening around me but hope to be back active posting from now.

Kotobian Tadau Tagazo Kaamatan.

I am back

I am back here in Kota Kinabalu last night after five days of moving around. Two days ago I was driving to Klang but ended in Sepang having missed a junction at the highway forcing me to drive a big round back. Anyway yesterday was a smooth driving from Klang to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Kaamatan Festival

The month-long Kaamatan (Harvest) Festival is launched today in Beafurot, about 100km fromn Kota Kinabalu by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman. The launching will be followed by celebrations throughtout Sabah in every districts until May 30 and 31 when the State level is held at Hongkod Koisaan and at the Sabah Cultural Centre in Penampang.

Kaamatan is an annual festival of the farming Kadazan Dusun and Murut, the biggest of all the natives of Sabah, the Land Below The Wind. Kaamatan is celebrated after paddy farmers harvested their paddy.

Kotobian Tadau Tagazo Kaamatan 2008.

On the move

I am on the move from my permanent station in Kota Kinabalu to a few places before landing in Kuala Lumpur Saturday. I will be back Monday and hopefully will be able to post `matters/issues of interest' during my five days on thhe move.