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New Straits Times
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
From crown to culture: Atitih's new role at Sabah museum
KOTA KINABALU: When Atitih Yati Robert first visited the Sabah Museum in 2017, she was a teenage finalist in the Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan (UNK) pageant. The visit was brief — wedged between rehearsals and ceremonial duties — but it sparked a curiosity that would shape her future. Eight years on, the now 26-year-old returns to the institution not as a visitor or contestant, but as a cultural figure in her own right. Atitih, the reigning Unduk Ngadau 2025, was officially appointed as the Sabah Museum Ambassador during its Diamond Jubilee celebration on Saturday. Unduk Ngadau is a cultural pageant held during Sabah's Harvest Festival to celebrate indigenous beauty and heritage. The appointment is part of a broader initiative by the Sabah Museum Department to engage youth, cultural icons, artists and influencers in efforts to safeguard and promote Sabah's heritage through fresh, inclusive, and modern approaches. "I barely knew anything about the museum back then — just the name," Atitih told the New Straits Times. "I was so excited to visit that I didn't even finish my meal. I didn't want to miss the chance to walk around and see what was inside." Despite the short duration of that first visit, the experience stayed with her. Today, she sees the museum not merely as a storehouse of artefacts but as a living space where past and present intersect. "Each time I visit the Sabah Museum, I feel like I'm having a conversation with our heritage," she said. "It's not just something you read about. It's something you see, touch and experience. I've discovered things there I never heard from my family, my community, or in school. That's what makes museums matter — they help us understand before we can appreciate." She said that not everyone sees museums as exciting spaces, especially younger people. But she hopes to change that. "Perception reflects experience. If someone finds a museum uninteresting, perhaps they haven't yet had a visit that moved them," she said. "As Ambassador, I want to help spark that curiosity, even in small ways." For Atitih, being both an Unduk Ngadau and Museum Ambassador comes with weight — but also opportunity. "As someone in this unique position, I want to help bridge tradition and the younger generation. The responsibility is big, but I see it as a chance to raise awareness, inspire pride and connect our identity to the world in a meaningful way." She also believes listening is just as important as promoting. "I want to hear what people think—their ideas, feedback, even criticism. It's not about promoting for the sake of it, but about making the museum a space that people can connect with, and leave feeling proud and inspired." The Sabah Museum itself is undergoing a digital transformation. During the jubilee celebration, Sabah's Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment announced the adoption of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technology to make exhibitions more accessible and immersive. Visitors can now experience traditional ethnic houses at Heritage Village Phases 1 and 2 via an interactive digital platform, accessible anytime and anywhere. "This proves that heritage is not frozen in the past—it lives in the future," said the minister, Datuk Christina Liew, in a speech delivered by assistant minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai. Atitih welcomes the move and hopes to collaborate with content creators, schools, and cultural institutions to bring Sabah's heritage into the digital space. "Our heritage deserves a presence in the digital world. From short videos to virtual tours, there's so much potential to connect with people where they are." Since its founding in 1965, the Sabah Museum has expanded from a single building on Gaya Street to managing 23 museums and in-situ heritage sites statewide—including the Tun Mustapha Museum in Kudat, the Agnes Keith House in Sandakan, and Bukit Tengkorak in Semporna. A new site, the Muzium Tamadun dan Etnik Dusun Ranau, is also in development. Atitih believes heritage must be seen as a shared responsibility.
Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
EasyJet passengers can end up paying up to 289% more for in-flight booze
A study comparing the price of drinks on airlines including Ryanair, easyjet and Jet2 to those available in the supermarket has found the budget carriers have big mark-ups in place Passengers jetting out to holiday destinations face a significant mark-up on drinks onboard planes. The airport pint/pints before flying is now as ingrained a part of British culture as donating a tin of beans for Harvest Festival or regular portions of chicken tikka masala. Drinking on the plane, however, is a more complex pursuit. Often the portions are small, the drinks trolley infrequent, and the prices high. New data from Kadi Luggage show the prices you're likely to fork out when flying with budget airlines, including easyJet, Ryanair, and Jet2, and the markups facing customers. According to the study, in some cases prices can soar up to 289% above supermarket rates. On easyJet, wine costs up to £6.60, and beer £5.60, while Ryanair charges £6.84 for wine. Meanwhile although Jet2 ranks as the most affordable UK airline for in-flight drinks, it still trails far behind international competitors, with prices significantly higher than those offered by Iberia Express and Transavia France. By contrast, top-scoring airlines like Spain's Iberia Express charge nearly £2 less per drink, offering beer for just £3.85. "UK carriers are enforcing stricter alcohol policies, yet are not offering much value to passengers in return," says Harry Saunders, CEO of Kadi Luggage. "We expect to pay more at altitude, but these prices are eye-watering, especially for everyday brands you can get for a third of the price on the ground. And when comparing globally to leading European airlines, Brits really are overpaying for a basic drink at 30,000 feet." READ MORE: UKHSA has issued an important warning for anyone with holidays booked in July UK and Irish airlines consistently fall short on value for money, with European counterparts offering better-priced drinks across all categories. Overall, the cheapest airline was Iberia Express, which offered beer for £3.85, wine for £5.56, and spirits for £5.13. At the other end of the scale was flyDubai, where beer will set you back £8.03, wine the same price and spirits £8.77. Jet2 is the cheapest UK or Irish airline that was ranked, serving up £5.60 beer, £6 wine and £6 spirits. Ryanair was next up thanks to its £5.56 beer, £6.84 wine and £5.99 spirits. This compared favourably to easyJet, where beer cost £5.60, wine £6.90 and spirits £6.60. The study looked at the price mark-ups customers face. They included: A 289% mark-up on easyJet for a 330ml bottle of Morretti, which costs £1.53 in the supermarket and £5.95 onboard. A 264% mark-up on Ryanair for the same beer, that costs £5.56 on the Irish budget airline. A 193% mark-up on Jet2 for a BrewDog Punk IPA, that cost £1.91 in a supermarket and £5.65 on the plane. Supermarket prices are according to at the beginning of July. The study analysed online in-flight menu prices for each airline, retrieving prices for beer, wine and spirits. All prices were converted to GBP.
Scotsman
29-06-2025
- General
- Scotsman
21 old photos of Edinburgh schools in the 1950s and 1960s (cloned)
So the scenes in this selection of photos may well look strange and unfamiliar to those at school today. But for others the pictures from the Evening News archive will bring back memories. They are a vivid illustration of how different things were six or seven decades ago - not just the school settings, but the clothes the children wear and the atmosphere conjured up by the images. Scroll through to glimpse again - or for the first time - school life in Edinburgh in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps you can spot yourself - or your parents or grandparents - in the photos. 1 . Portobello Secondary School Portobello Secondary School: Girls at a cookery class in 1953 | TSPL Photo: TSPL Photo Sales 2 . Gracemount Primary School Children bring their offerings to the Harvest Festival service at Gracemount primary school, Edinburgh, in October 1968. | TSPL Photo: George Smith Photo Sales 3 . Archbishop visits chemistry lab Archbishop Gordon Gray of St Andrews and Edinburgh, later Cardinal Gray visits the chemistry department of St David's RC High School in Dalkeith after officially opening the school in October 1967. | TSPL Photo: Alan Ledgerwood Photo Sales 4 . Murrayburn Primary School Murrayburn School: Primary 7a2 - Mrs. Main's class - in June 1955. | TSPL Photo: TSPL Photo Sales Related topics: EdinburghSchools
Daily Express
04-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Need to upgrade Kepayan drainage
Published on: Wednesday, June 04, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 04, 2025 By: Sidney Skinner Text Size: An excavator was deployed to help in efforts to clear this large drain near Taman Sepanggar Phase 2. THE government concessionaire has cleared the roadside drains in a Kepayan neighbourhood, but pointed out that such maintenance will only minimally prevent water from stagnating inside, unless the gradient for these structures is restored. To this end, the company hopes that City Hall will consider upgrading the drains along Lorong Rampai as such structural improvement falls outside the management's scope of work. The Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID), meanwhile, is in the process of cleaning a large drain which runs along one side of Lorong Buah Mempelam 3C in Manggatal. Action to attend to these drains was prompted by feedback that they were clogged with water vegetation. The homeowners in Taman Selesa and Taman Sepanggar Phase 2, who spoke out about this, feared the possibility of flash floods occurring in their respective areas. They provided Hotline with the pertinent details regarding these drainage irregularities which were forwarded to the relevant agencies. A spokeswoman for City Hall's Landscaping Department said the concessionaire's workers removed the weeds which had sprung up in the Kepayan drains a few days before the Harvest Festival public holidays last week. 'We were made to understand that a lot of settlement has taken place in the area since the housing drains on either side of Lorong Rampai were first built many years ago,' she said. 'This settlement has apparently affected the movement of runoff channelled through these structures. 'Because of this, ponding occurs in these drains and water vegetation tends to thrive inside.' Per the company's records, the roadside drains, off Lorong Rampai, were last cleaned on April 16, according to her. She said one of the Department's staff checked on the condition of the drains near the complainant's premises in the second week of May. 'He noticed that a concrete driveway was fashioned over a section of the drains. 'The rate-payer who did this may have inadvertently impeded the flow of the water inside. 'We suspect that bits of the cement mortar could have fallen into the drains, if not the culvert, and hardened at the base, when the driveway was built.' The spokeswoman said the agency's Engineering Department would be apprised of the observations regarding the driveway in question, as well as the potential settlement which was likely to have taken place in Taman Selesa. 'Our Engineering colleagues will have to determine how best to improve the drainage in the housing area. 'They will have to decide whether it warrants upgrading the roadside drains here.' In the case of Taman Sepanggar Phase 2, the DID has gradually been attending to the large drain, near one part of the residential property, over the past two months. A DID spokeswoman said a contractor had been de-silting the structure in stages since April. 'He was asked to pay particular attention to clearing this vegetation from the outlets for the drain,' she said. 'The individual was also tasked with clearing the overgrown grass on the reserve land on either side.' She said an excavator had been deployed to facilitate this effort. When asked how often the structure was cleaned, the spokeswoman said there was no fixed schedule for this maintenance. 'We try to have our drains outside the city-limits cleaned annually. 'If the Department's budget permits, this may be performed once more in that same year.' She said the Department's drains in the State Capital were generally attended to between three to four times annually. The spokeswoman said the Department was aware of the flood woes in this part of Manggatal. 'We are in the midst of identifying those flood-prone areas around the town.' She said the agency hoped to come up with possible solutions to the flash floods which had hit those living and working there. 'A study on the drainage around the town will have to be conducted to facilitate this effort." * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Discover the rural charms of Sabah's cool district, Tambunan
Often, the mention of Sabah conjures up the image of its natural wonders. Rightfully so, as the Land Below The Wind does boast a wide array of flora and fauna. Typically, tourists head straight to Kundasang in the Ranau district for its temperate climate and for Mount Kinabalu – to catch a view of the looming mountain, if not to scale the peak. Roughly 60km from the said district is one that tourists, especially those from out of state, might have never considered visiting: Tambunan. While often overshadowed by its 'cooler' neighbour, Tambunan has no trouble holding its own when it comes to nature and culture. It may be set on a lower elevation than Kundasang, but it still boasts colder weather compared to the lowlands, making it a cool escape from the tropical heat. This year, the spotlight shines on Tambunan as it plays host to Sabah's annual Harvest Festival or Kaamatan. A celebration of bountiful harvest, Kaamatan is also a time when both locals and tourists can fully appreciate the state's melting pots of culture. The Dusun people of Tambunan celebrate Kaamatan every May. — FIFY JOSEPH/Wikimedia Commons As is the norm, the districts in Sabah take turn to host the festival each year. The host's duties include holding the Kaamatan launch on May 1, marking the start of the month-long festivities throughout Sabah and the Federal Territory of Labuan. The grand finale is then held on May 30 and 31 at Hongkod Koisaan KDCA in Penampang. Themed 'Kaamatan For All', or 'Kaamatan Montok Toinsanan' in the Kadazandusun language, this year's festival was launched at Pisompuruan Square, in the Tambunan district's eponymous town. It may be too late to join in the Kaamatan festivities this year (mark your calendar for next May!), but anytime is a good time to discover the rural charms of Sabah. So, why not hop on a plane and kickstart your Sabahan adventure in Tambunan? Locals and tourists alike are mesmerised by the musical sound of Tambunan's Batu Gong. — Batu Gong/Facebook Pisompuruan Square Located in the Tambunan town, Pisompuruan Square alternatively goes by Tamu Ground, due to the tamu (market) that's held weekly here. Every Thursday, the square comes alive with vendors selling everything from fresh produce to traditional delicacies. You can get local products here, in turn helping support the local community. Walking around the square, you might notice a plaque stating Tugu Tambunan Memorial. It marks an area where the Tambunan Unity Stone stands – though perhaps more eye-catching are the statues of two warriors right next to it. The Unity Stone marks the unification of the Gombunan and Tamadon tribes, and the warriors immortalised here were of the said tribes. Legend has it that after forming an alliance with each other, the two tribes christened their shared settlement with an amalgamation of their tribe names. Thus, the birth of Tambunan – 'Tam' from Tamadon and 'bunan' from Gombunan. Since the Kaamatan launch was held at Pisompuruan Square, let's use this as the point of reference for how far the other suggested attractions are from the town. Batu Gong emits sounds like a traditional gong when struck. — Filepic Batu Gong Also known as Turu Miadi (Seven Siblings), Batu Gong is one of nature's most unique offerings. Typically when a rock is struck, it makes a dull thud. Not this one – this rock resonates same as a gong would. Gong is a traditional musical instrument made of brass or bronze, hence the Batu Gong or 'gong rock' moniker. According to the information found at the site housing the unique rock, it was excavated during a river straightening project at Sungai Pegalan in 1995. But its musical disposition was only discovered rather by accident not long after, by a group of children enjoying a dip in the river. It was while playing on the rock that they noted the unexpected sound it made. The villagers of Kampung Solibog decided to relocate the rock into a hut in order to protect and preserve it. Eventually, it became a tourist attraction in the village. Due to its growing popularity, it underwent another relocation in 2022. This time it was to a bigger riverside site that can welcome more visitors. The new site, called Ekopelancongan Nagas Komuniti Kg Solibog (Batu Gong), is accessible via a roughly 10-minute car ride from town. Rafflesia pricei is the species commonly found at Tambunan's Rafflesia Information Centre. — Sabah Forestry Department/Facebook Rafflesia Information Centre There is probably no parasitic plant more revered than the stinking corpse lily – better known as rafflesia. Recognised as the world's largest flowering plant, it is found only in South-East Asia. Sabah is home to three species, two of which are rare and endemic to the state. Rafflesia tengku-adlinii and Rafflesia keithii are the harder species to come by, although the latter has been spotted at the Rafflesia Information Centre, which is located about half an hour by car from town. The more commonly found species at this centre is Rafflesia pricei. With rafflesia being the state's official flower, the Sabah Forestry Department naturally keeps a close eye on it and posts regular updates on social media when it is in bloom. This is especially helpful to avoid disappointment for anyone hoping to witness the massive flower in person, since it does have a relatively short blooming period – lasting only around five days. This centre is perfect if you're not keen on trekking deep into the wilderness. There is already an established trail here, some parts in concrete, making the 20-minute trek to see the blooming flowers relatively easier. Fun fact: Despite rafflesias' notoriety as a foul-smelling plant, not all species actually emit the offensive stench. Rafflesia pricei is among these fairly odourless species. That's another plus point for visiting the centre! Kampung Tikolod is great for water outings, as it is home to Kirongulad Waterfall and Sungai Tikolod. — Sabah Tourism Board website Kirongulad Waterfall Now, if you are the type who's willing to trek deep – very deep – into the jungle, a refreshing reward awaits you. It comes in the form of a cascading body of water that will make your hours-long journey worth every second. The trip to Kirongulad Waterfall kicks off from Kampung Tikolod, a village about half an hour away from town. From the village, a 3km stretch of dirt road traversable by four-wheel drives will take you to the trek's starting point. This is where the real adventure begins. The almost 5km trek from here will even involve walking through padi fields and plenty of wading through streams. Be prepared to get wet long before reaching the waterfall. Despite its more impressive height of 30m, Kirongulad Waterfall doesn't get as much mention as Mahua Waterfall, the 17m-tall cascade that takes its name from the Tambunan village it's located in. This likely stems from accessibility, since Mahua doesn't take a strenuous journey to reach. If you still want to experience the cool waters of Kampung Tikolod but minus the arduous trek, then head to Kintup Recreation Park (TRK). Here you can swim in Sungai Tikolod or try the 'fish spa', where tiny fish will nibble ticklishly on your soaking feet. The three-deck Sinurambi Tambunan offers panoramic views of Tambunan. — Filepic Sinurambi Tambunan Set atop Trig Hill at 877m above sea level is the viewing point, Sinurambi Tambunan. Launched in conjunction with Visit Tambunan Year 2017, the hilltop attraction is less than 30 minutes away from town. It features an interesting shape that takes inspiration from wakid , the traditional bamboo basket used by the Dusun people. The three stacked decks incorporated into the design of the 14m-high tower are meant to accommodate visitors' varying degrees of comfort with height. The first deck is suitable for those who are comfortable being not more than 3m off the ground. The second deck, at 6m, offers better view for those who can handle the height. But many may still prefer the top deck, as it does offer the best vantage point with its height of 9.15m. You can climb this tower to get a sweeping view of not only Tambunan but also Mount Kinabalu, which can be admired from the viewing point on clear days.
