Driving Tour to Miri, Sarawak

We decided to spend the Hari Raya holidays by doing a driving tour to Miri in Sarawak. We drove altogether 997 Km inclusive of all detours. This is just 3 Km short of 1,000 Km.

The driving tour would have been so much more pleasant if the 5 border Customs/Immigration Checkpoints could be avoided. Altogether, 10 passport checks/chops were required. Here is how the figure 10 comes about:

• 1st: Exit Sabah at Sindumin
• 2nd: Entry to Sarawak
• 3rd: Exit Sarawak
• 4th: Entry to Brunei
• 5th: Exit Brunei
• 6th: Entry to Sarawak
• 7th: Exit Sarawak
• 8th: Entry to Brunei
• 9th: Exit Brunei
• 10th: Entry to Sarawak (to Miri)

3 to 4 pages of the passports were used up just for one driving tour from KK to Miri and back! Since I was driving a car, there were another 5 rounds of vehicle registration check at each entry and exit of Brunei!

If the Proposed Pan-Borneo Highway which is currently being built is to follow the existing road alignment, that would make driving to Kuching both frustrating and annoying.

The Sabah/Sarawak immigration building is the most people-friendly Customs/ Immigration check point. The cubicle has no internal partition. Two officers sit side by side. One officer just passes the passport to his immediate neighbour after his checking. This is hassle-free and the process is so much more efficient and fast!

****************************************************

Limbang, a small Sarawakian town situated by the River Limbang is trapped in between two halves of Brunei. Unless one chooses to fly in by air, anyone who wants to travel on land to visit this place must go through Brunei!

Old wooden shop houses are still aplenty in Limbang. The mode of transport for people from both sides of the river banks has not changed. Water taxi is still the most convenient mean.

*************************************************************

Quite to my surprise, Miri is so much more developed and bigger than what I originally imagined. There are many hotels of different star rating, the most prominent one is the Marriot.

Life here seems more relaxed and the city is more laid-back compared to KK. There is no sign of "illegal immigrants" in town and people in the service sectors are either Chinese or the indigenous Ibans and Dayaks. 

One can still savour RM2.50 per plate of char sou / minced pork mee at the market in Miri town.

*********************************************************

I was surprised to find out that the first drilling rig in Miri is on top of a hill in the city of Miri - the Canada Hill. The hill has a good bird eye view of the city of Miri. There is also a Petroleum Museum built next to the old oil rig.

Food enthusiasts will not be disappointed in Miri. We did try to eat as much as our stomach could handle. We found out that Lutong Cafe in Lutong serves good roast pork knuckles and asam fish.

*********************************************************

Many of the engineers we employ are graduates of the Curtin University Sarawak. We drove intentionally to Curtin campus just to have a look and get a feel of this campus ambience. In fact, one of my nieces is also a graduate from this campus. This campus which is tucked in a no-man-land is ideal for “isolating” the students from urban distraction and to “force” them to concentrate in their studies.

*****************************************************

Bandar Seri Bagawan, Brunei
Taking advantage of the open house of Istana Nurul Iman in conjunction with the Hari Raya festival, it was our intention to reach the palace on 19 July 2015 just in time for a free lunch. Alas, to our great disappointment, the crowd was just extraordinarily huge. It would take us may be another hour just to queue up for the food. We decided to forego this attempt and move on.

Istana Nurul Iman is recognized in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest living residence of a head of state. Here is a bit of the statistics:

• Total area of 200,000 sq. m. (2,153,000 sq. ft) of floor space.
• 1,500 capacity mosque.
• 1,788 rooms.
• 257 bathrooms.
• 5 swimming pools.
• 153 most expensive cars in the underground car park.
• 4,000 capacity banquet hall.
• Stables for 200 horses.
• Huge collection of art pieces including the $70 million Renoir painting.

Of the massive crowd who thronged the palace, it was not difficult to tell just who they were. The bulk were foreign nationals mainly from the Indian Sub-Continent employed in the construction and service sectors.

Together with our travelling companions, Donald Soh and his wife Rose, we posed in front of the entrance of the huge banquet hall of Istana Nurul Iman or Nurul Iman Palace.

*************************************************

Lawas is a small little town in the north of Sarawak. By the time we reached this place on our way back to KK, it was already 6 pm. Nothing much can be said about this place except the Lawas River. The tranquility and serenity that one feel just by looking at the river is just perfect in soothing and relaxing a tired body and an over-worked mind. I wish I could have stayed there much longer!

Paul Tied The Knot

Paul’s wedding is finally over. As I look back on the entire journey, it has been a mixture of waiting, moments of worry, occasional anxiety, and ultimately, a deep sigh of relief - accompanied by a broad smile of satisfaction.

The wedding was held at the picturesque Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort, nestled by Dalit Bay, about 35Km from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The two key planners - none other than the bride and groom - were based in two different countries: Newcastle, Australia and Singapore. Apart from a brief visit to KK earlier in the year for a preliminary discussion with the hotel, all arrangements were coordinated remotely via countless emails. With the invaluable support from Paul's parents based in KK, the planning came together impressively well. On the day itself, everything unfolded smoothly, with barely a hitch - at least from the guests’ perspective.

Throughout the preparations, whenever the parents expressed concern or apprehension, the ever-composed groom would simply say, “Don’t worry, everything will work out fine!” His calm demeanor echoed the Chinese proverb, “船到橋頭自然直” - “The boat will naturally straighten itself when it reaches the bridge.”

That said, the wedding was not without its moments of suspense. It could have been just another typical indoor ceremony, if not for what seemed like divine intervention. Weather forecasts had predicted heavy rain by 6pm on the wedding day, 04.07.2015. But the rain never came. In fact, a light shower earlier in the day helped to cool the temperature to a pleasantly comfortable level, much to everyone’s delight.

The forecast prompted the hotel management to move the dinner indoors, opting for an air-conditioned restaurant over the original open-air plan. In hindsight, this precaution turned out to be a blessing, sparing guests from potential mosquito bites and stifling humidity. But as the weather held up beautifully, the ceremony proceeded outdoors as originally envisioned. Everything turned out better than hoped for - an unforgettable celebration marked by grace, joy, and just the right touch of drama.

We have three children - and thank God, each of them has shown an uncanny and admirable instinct in choosing a life partner with whom to share their future.

Interestingly, all three chose distinct and meaningful wedding venues that reflected their personalities and values. Our eldest daughter, Serene, held her wedding in December 2004 at the Chapel of the Trinity Theological College in Singapore - a serene and sacred space set within a theological seminary. Our second child, Sam, opted for a more historical setting: the beautifully restored CHIJMES Chapel in Singapore, originally built in 1904 and steeped in colonial-era charm. Then came our youngest, Paul, who took a different route altogether - he chose a beach wedding by the sea at Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort in Sabah.

To have two weddings within just two months was, without a doubt, a remarkable stretch for the family - emotionally, logistically, and spiritually. But now that all three children are married, I can finally say, with a deep sense of contentment, that I am a free man. The season of planning weddings and writing wedding speeches has come to a close. And what a sweet relief it is!

Delivering wedding speech.

The complete Lee's Family

The Lee's and the Lai"s

Gracie Moves Towards 2 in KK, Sabah

We held an early celebration for my adorable granddaughter, Gracie’s 2nd birthday on 7 July 2015 - just four days before her actual big day.

She was overjoyed with the birthday cake prepared specially for her, and her wide range of delightful facial expressions spoke volumes of her pure happiness. It was a precious moment, capturing her joy and innocence as she stepped into a new chapter of her little life.

This is my birthday cake!

What? This is not my birthday cake?
What are you talking about?

How many times do I need to tell you,
this is my birthday cake!

Hurry up, let’s cut the cake!

Wow! All mine! How am I going to finish it
all by myself!

I am thinking! Shall I share this with my korkor?

Sir Christopher Lee (1922 - 2015)

Whenever I think of Christopher Lee, two characters invariably come to mind: Count Dracula and Saruman. His portrayal of villains somehow is so much more impactful than his acting as good guys.

I remember the one and only Dracula movie I had ever watched - "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" way back in 1968 when I was just a Form 4 school boy. A school friend of mine invited me to watch this black and white movie in the Capital Cinema. Since we could not make it for the first show, we decided to watch the second show which was to start at 9.00 pm. By the time it ended, it was 11.00 pm. In those days, the last public bus that traversed the road leading to my home was at 7.00 pm. Taxi was almost non-existent then. Even if there was, it was way beyond our means to charter one. The only way was to walk on foot from the cinema back to my home along Harrington Road, now renamed Jalan Istana. Walking alone along an unlit road and without seeing or meeting anybody or a vehicle was nerve wrecking. This was made worse by the scenes of the eerie castle and the bloodsucking vampire kept replaying in the mind.

 

There was one particular spot along the road where a man had previously committed suicide by hanging himself in a tree not far from the road side. By the time his body was discovered due to the strong stench, his remain was practically bones and pieces of rotten flesh. You can just imagine the fear and horror the imagination of vampire combined with walking skeleton could cause in a young boy's mind! That was truly one most frightful walk of my life. Because of this, I could never forget Christopher Lee!

 

One of the qualities of Christopher was his lack of marital scandal which is sadly so prevalent in Hollywood nowadays. His marriage to his wife Birgit Kronke Lee lasted more than 54 years from 17 March 1961 till he died on 7 June 2015.

Christopher Lee as Saruman in the "Lord of the Ring"

Christopher Lee was not only a good actor, he was also known for his singing ability. This I discovered much later (view here).

*******************************************************

Capital Cinema then.

Capital Cinema, the yellow-roof building was a prominent landmark and a favorite place for hang-out and watching movies in those days. The seafront at Kampong Air where Asia City, KK Hilton Hotel and Plaza Shell are now sited had yet to be reclaimed.

Sabah is Forever Changed after 5 June 2015 Earthquake

The Psyche of the people of Sabah was forever changed after 5 June 2015. At 7.15am that morning, an earthquake measuring 6.0 magnitude on the Richter Scale struck Ranau and its tremor was felt throughout Sabah. Many aftershocks followed, one of which hit 5.1 magnitude on the Richter Scale.

At that precise moment, I was standing next to the dining table getting ready for my breakfast. Having suffered vertigo before, my first thought was - "Wow, what a major vertigo attack so early in the morning!". But then, the sensation was not in the head, I felt my legs swaying left and right in tandem with the swaying of the floor. The next immediate thought - "What kind of heavy machinery is passing outside our house so early in the morning to cause such massive vibration!". I rushed out to the front door together with my wife. There was no major machinery outside but we did see our neighbours all rushing out of the main doors. We knew then, an earthquake has struck. Little did we knew then that earthquake which lasted  barely 30 seconds have claimed 18 lives.

Since no major damage was found in the house, we proceeded with our driving trip to the Tip of Borneo in Kudat to attend the Sunset Music Fest scheduled at 5.00pm that evening. This had been planned quite a few days ago.

*************************************************

Out of this tragedy, we saw villains, heroes, victims and heart-broken parents and individuals. There were tears of sorrow as well as tears of joy when injured were saved and when parents were reunited with their children. But to many, it was a freak natural disaster that has forever changed their lives. That earthquake has chiseled off part of their hearts leaving irreparable void.

The foreign hikers who may have thought it's fun to pose naked on top of Mt. Kinabalu probably never meant to cause offence to the people of Sabah. Some did learn a hard lesson and were found guilty of "committing an obscene act in a public area". They were duly punished. To the indigenous people, it was their disrespectful acts toward the local culture that was deemed  most abhorrent.

I have always been proud of this land which we Sabahans proudly proclaim to the world - "Land Below the Wind" or land free from natural disaster.  But with the tragedy caused by the 5th June earthquake, there is no doubt that this claim would no longer be true.

*************************************************

I have climbed Mt. Kinabalu twice. The first time was in May 1972, the year after I finished my  A Levels. That was more than 43 years ago. At that time, climbing the mountain was no easy feat and it was so much more challenging.

Immediately after reaching the summit and on the way down, one of the girls injured her foot. She first tried to drag herself down with the assistance of an impromptu walking stick plucked from a little tree trunk. After repeated strenuous effort, it proved to be too difficult in the steep and rocky terrain.  In the end, some of the nine boys had to take turn to assist her to move down the mountain slowly one step at a time.  It was one experience that I find it hard to forget. That climb made me realize that friends are so crucial in time of crisis!

At the summit.

Donkey Ears in 1972.

The earthquake in 5 June 2015 was so powerful that part of one of the Donkey Ears was dislodged.

***************************************************

In March 1987, I did the second climb with my wife together with a group of teachers from Sabah College.

I am squatting at right. My wife is
standing 4th from right.

A short break to watch the sun rise just before our final push to the summit.

At the summit.

Sunset Music Fest 2015 at The Tip of Borneo

The Sunset Musical Fest held at the Tip of Borneo would be remembered with a mixture of happiness and sadness. It was held on 5 June 2015, the day Ranau in Sabah was struck with the most catastrophic natural disaster it has ever faced – the 6.0 magnitude earthquake on Richter Scale.

Soon after we felt the aftershock tremors in the morning of 5 June 2015, we did not think much of its severity and decided to proceed with our driving to our destination, Kudat to attend this Concert which was planned quite some time ago.

 

In fact, while we were on our way to Kudat, our friends in Sarawak and West Malaysia had been trying to contact us via the Whatsapp Chat to check whether we were affected by the earthquake. However, I was not aware of it because I was busy on the wheel concentrating on my driving. We were finally contacted through a phone call from a friend in Sarawak when we were about to check into the Resort in Kudat. We wasted no time to keep our friends informed that we were alright.

 

Sunset Music Fest held annually at the Tip of Borneo is Sabah’s biggest open air concert. Since its launch some nine years ago, it has allowed music lovers to be serenaded with classical music, songs and contemporary tunes. This concert used to feature both foreign and local artistes. But for the concert we attended, all performers are locals.

 

As the concert name implies, the stage is set in such a way to allow audience to enjoy simultaneously the music as well as the panoramic sunset view of the northern most point of Borneo where the Sulu Sea meets the South China Sea.

 

The artistes are all well known local singers. But since we are not great fans and followers of local singers, they were all newbies to us. They sang a great variety of songs in English, Malay, Kadazan and even Chinese. As far as I am concerned, the most impactful among them is a group of young men who called themselves "The La Cantabile". They did well when they performed “The Phantom of the Opera”.

Photo's from Sabah Tourism Board - What it is liked to be a spectator of the Concert.

********************************************************

Waiting for the concert to commence.

We last visited the Tip of Borneo in 2006 (Read here). There was hardly any noticeable change in the area. But the fact is, we have changed because we are definitely much older after a lapse of nine years!

 

In Kudat, we stayed in a new little beach resort called North Borneo Biostation Resort which is owned and run by a Russian. This Resort is situated at quite a distance from Kudat town centre. Unless one has a car, it would be quite inconvenient to stay there. We chose this place when we browsed through Agoda.com for a place to stay a night after the Sunset Music Fest. This location is quite ideal as it is only about 13 Km southeast of the Tip of Borneo.

 

Even with our faithful Garmin, we still had some difficulty in locating this place. This Resort is tucked inside a coconut plantation and is built on a beach front at an elevated platform some 30 feet above the sea. This hide-away place is ideal for people who want to totally get away from the city and spend a couple of day in “isolation” to enjoy nature and the sea. However, people who hate hot weather and high humidity may find this quite unpleasant and even annoying.

 

The restaurant is huge probably because the owner expected all guests to eat-in rather than travel great distance to look for food outside. I found the food reasonably good and charged at very reasonable price.

**********************************************************

Unusual rock formation at the adjacent Bak-Bak Beach

****************************************

After the Concert, we had our dinner at a place called the “Howard’s Place” which is just about one Km from the Tip of Borneo. This outlet is also operated by a Caucasian whom I believe loves sunshine and the tropical sea. I believe he chose this strategic location because of its proximity to the famed Tip of Borneo and the equally famed Beach of Pantai Kalampunian which is also not very far from the rear of his restaurant.