A Kingdomof - BorneoTalk Official Website

ISSN 1823-9625 | PPK380/03/2011(029247) 

Sarawak • Borneo • Malaysia 

VOL.16 APR-JUN 2010 

A Kingdom of 

Unexpected Treasures 

Highlight 

Brunei Darussalam 

Health

Health 

Optimax 

Eye Specialist Centre for 

better vision, beauty and freedom! 

Sight is certainly one of the most 

important aspects of our daily lives 

and like most of our body organs, 

our eyes too can age, resulting in 

poor visions and other eye diseases. 

Most people resort to wearing 

glasses or contact lenses but there 

are new options now available 

from Optimax, the eye specialist 

organisation. 

A pioneer in Malaysia’s eye care industry, 

Optimax has been in Malaysia since 

1995 – we are celebrating 15 years of 

success in improving peoples’ vision. 

Optimax provides specialist eye 

treatments utilizing modern laser 

technology in 14 outlets nationwide 

as well as in Singapore and Brunei. 

As the only ISO 9001-2000 certified 

specialist, Optimax gives vast 

options in eye corrective surgery 

including short and long-sightedness, 

astigmatism, presbiopic (ageing 

eye), cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic 

retinopathy, paediatric and amblyopia. 

All you need to do is walk into any 

one of the outlets and discuss with the 

specialists present on the conditions 

of your eyes, types of corrective works 

that you want and they will do the 

rest, like analyzing your eyes and giving 

professional advice on the types of 

treatments available at Optimax. A 

schedule will then be arranged for you 

to go for the treatment and follow up 

advice as well as any touch up which 

are all free. 

Most treatments involve Lasik, All-laser 

Lasik, Epi-Lasik, Lasik XP conducted 

by specialists which are safe, effective 

and can reduce or eliminate use 

of glasses, contact lenses thereby 

providing greater convenience, 

freedom and even confidence! For 

the more beauty conscious ones, 

eye lid surgery and botox treatments 

are available too. As for all treatments, 

prior consultations will be necessary 

and Optimax consultant specialists 

will duly provide answers to all 

such enquiries to the satisfaction of 

customers. 

Currently, only Optimax offers 

free touch-ups and upgrades for life 

to all its lasik surgery customers. 

For more information, please log onto www.optimax.com.my or call toll free: 1-800-88-1201 

OPTIMAX EYE SPECIALIST CENTRE SDN BHD (329776-D) • No.59 & 61, Ground Floor, Jalan Tun Jugah, 93350 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 082 579085, 579086 Fax: (6) 082 579087 Email: kuching@optimax.com.my 

2 | BorneoTalkApr-Jun2010

Yang Berhormat 

Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah 

Bin Ali Hasan 

Minister of Planning and Resource Management II 

& Minister of Public Utilities 

Welcome to Sarawak! 

Borneo is one of seven most abundant biodiversity regions in the world and 

we are justifiably proud that Sarawak has set aside vast protected areas of 

land and sea under National Parks and Sanctuaries to ensure that future 

generations will benefit from these biodiversity rich areas. Today more than 

three-quarters of our land mass is still covered with forest and will continue 

to be so as the state practices sustainable timber harvesting in accordance 

with international standards. 

In accordance to the state development plans, the government has designated 

areas for different categories of industries, agriculture and residential to 

ensure orderly and sustainable development for the well being of the people. 

The Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) is a long-term development 

plan to boost the state’s economic base and to position it as one of the most 

green, industrialised areas in the nation in the next twenty years. New industries 

and employment opportunities from SCORE will propel the state towards 

developed status which will ensure the state is able to continue to safeguard 

its protected areas and provide clean environment for the people here. 

As mentioned in the inside pages of this issue of Borneo Talk, Limbang and 

Lawas districts contain some of the most pristine destinations like the Mount 

Murud which is Sarawak’s highest peak and Ba’Kelalan in the highlands 

where nature’s beauty is at its apex. In addition, both districts straddle part 

of the Sultanate of Brunei, which continue to see visitors coming into these 

northern towns of Sarawak. Similarly neighbouring state Sabah is just next 

door and together the region is a vast hinterland for tourism and adventure 

ranging from jungle trekking to white water rafting and caving to mountains 

climbing! 

Come! Let us explore, discover and enjoy Sarawak, and the neighbouring regions 

of Borneo together with Borneo Talk as the “Companion to Discovery”. 

Happy Reading! 

Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah Bin Ali Hasan 

Apr-Jun2010BorneoTalk | 3


Majestic 

Soas Mosque 

Lagoon Panoramic 

Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah 

Foundation Complex 

Welcome to Brunei Darussalam! As 

our tag line says, Brunei, the Abode 

of Peace best describes this small, 

sovereign oil rich Sultanate located at 

the corner of Borneo Island facing the 

South China Sea. This land of vast 

opportunities is uniquely free from 

daily hassle of traffic jams, crowded 

malls or rude sales people as the 

excellent infrastructure of roads, sea 

and air, world class communications 

systems with English widely used 

everywhere makes Brunei distinctly 

different and fantastic for a visit. 

As the only remaining Sultanate in 

South East Asia, which stretches 

back since 1363AD, it is also one of 

only three world Monarchies ruled 

nations under a dynasty claiming 

descent from Prophet Mohammad. 

Here, grand mosques with iconic 

structures stand, as tribute to the 

holy prophet and each is a majestic 

place to visit and experience the calm 

interior sanctuaries used for prayers. 

In fact, most of these grand mosques 

are located within the main districts 

of Muara, Tutong and Belait and are 

easily accessible by roads. Visitors 

should take note that Fridays are the 

busiest time at these mosques when 

the faithful converge for prayers. 

A visit to Brunei is never complete 

without a glimpse of the Istana 

Nurul Iman, the residential palace of 

the Sultan, which is recorded as the 

world’s largest residential palace with 

1,788 rooms, horse stables, polo 

field and heliport among the rich 

array of amenities. It is only opened 

to the public for three days each year 

during the Sultan’s birthday which 

falls on 27 August this year and like 

in previous years, it is expected to be 

crowded with visitors making a tour 

of the palace and snapping pictures 

of their visits for souvenirs and boasting 

rights! 

Downtown Bandar Seri Begawan 

or Bandar to locals is the capital and 

administrative centre, home to almost 

Jerudong Park 



Brunei 

beckons! 

Style, opulence and openness await every 

visitor to the only sovereign nation in Borneo 

Theatre Masjid Jamek Empire Course 

2/3rds of the nation’s population 

and most foreigners working in the 

sultanate. As an almost tax free 

haven, Brunei naturally attracts 

professionals and businesses taking 

advantage of the high literacy rate of 

the people as well as high standard 

of living conditions with subsidised 

health care, education and most 

social services, basic food items, 

petrol, electricity and water. Bandar 

oozes with range of boutique shops in 

department stores featuring branded 

goods from all over the world; these 

include grown ups ‘toys’ like luxury 

cars, bikes and many others. Local 

made handicrafts are of excellent 

quality, especially the unique Kain 

Tenunan and Jong Sarat, the latter an 

expected formal wear for weddings 

and other national events. 

Naturally you can expect to find 

the most exotic international food 

available in Brunei, especially in 

Bandar. Specialty outlets featuring 

unique range of food from Europe to 

Asia, Latin America to Australia occupy 

conspicuous addresses around the 

city together with international chain 

restaurants while local favourites 

are found in almost any corner food 

outlet. The national dish, Ambuyat 

is made from sago and eaten with 

pungent sauces can be found at 

various locations which is a favourite 

among the locals. Most food outlets 

are closed after 9pm and late suppers 

or snacks have to be sourced at 

places like Gadong Night market 

and coffee shops catering for the 

night revelers. Despite the absence 

of sale of alcoholic beverages in 

the nation, eating out is still an 

enjoyable experience with wide 

range of choices of the finest and 

freshest food anywhere in Asia! 

Increasingly more visitors have come 

to know about Brunei’s world-class 

medical facilities found in Jerudong 

Park Medical Center, part of the 

massive Jerudong Park, which 

includes polo field, golf course and 

recreational area located right in the 

capital Bandar. The medical center with 

its specialists’ clinics is in a convenient 

and easily accessible location to cater 

to the large population from around 

the Asian region, which explains 

its attractions and rising popularity. 

Incidentally, Brunei is free of tropical 

diseases and pollution free almost 

everyday of the year due in large 

part to the lush greenery all around 

the country. It has very low statistics on 

crime rate and strict immigration laws 

that thwart undesirable individuals 

from entering and thus preserving 

the peace and loving nature of the 

kingdom. Beholden of all these 

jewels Brunei is indeed ‘A Kingdom 

of Unexpected Treasures’, a Borneo 

haven waiting to be discovered in 

the 3 rd largest island in the world. 

Ambuyat 

www.bruneitourism.travel 



Canopy-Walk Merimbun-Walkway Kampung Ayer 



Jetski At Empire Beach 

Temburong River 

Merimbun 

Pilong Rock 

The sights, sounds and lush of Brunei 

Just about everyone wants a home 

by the sea, enjoying the sun rise in 

the morning and its fading glory 

at the end of each day, gentle sea 

breezes and lapping of the waves 

on the shore. There is in fact such 

a place in Brunei and its called 

Kampung Ayer, the world’s largest 

human settlement of homes built 

on stilts above the sprawling water. 

Some 30,000 residents call it home 

and it has been there for over 1,000 

years as this was the original fishing 

villages that gave rise to what Brunei 

is today! 

Self-contained with its own schools, 

clinics, police station, fire brigade 

and mosques, Kampung Ayer is 

actually a cluster of small kampung 

packed closed together and linked 

by complex walkways and bridges. 

Easily accessible from Bandar or BSB 

by water taxis (speed boats) it is a 

unique and interesting place for 

those who have never been on a 

house built on top of water. 

Another famed Brunei address is the 

Empire Hotel and Country Club, 180 

hectares of prime land facing the 

South China Sea with facilities for 

the rich and famous including private 

beach, a Jack Nicholas designed 

18-hole floodlit championship golf 

course, 9 pools, 700 seat theatre, 3 

screen Cineplex, 8-lane 10-pin bowling 

alley, 7 food and beverage outlets, 

shopping gallery, spa, meeting 

facilities and 523 rooms comprising 

suites, and villas. 

Further out in the district of Temburong 

lies the world famous Ulu Temburong 

National Park where nature lovers will 

simply fall in love with the splendour 

and majesty of the pristine rainforest 

and its myriad of wildlife inhabitants. 

Experience the canopy walk above 

one of the last remaining virgin 

forests in Asia and discover first hand 

the complex ecosystem of tropical 

rainforest from the lowland mangrove 

swamps to hilltop dipterocarp forest 

of giant trees comprising different 

Lagoon Panoramic 

species, all at your own pace and 

preference! It is no wonder that 

many visitors have often tagged 

this the 2nd smallest country in the 

world, which is not an island in itself 

as ‘Asia’s Best Kept Secret.’ The 

Brunei government is committed to 

preserving 58% of its land area to 

a multi-national conservation effort 

under the Heart of Borneo initiative, 

which ensures the perpetual reign 

of nature here. As such, nature 

tourism is envisioned to be the most 

promising new draw for Brunei to 

foreign visitors and currently the 

relative small number of visitors here 

means that outdoor enthusiasts 

often have the pleasure of the whole 

forest to themselves. It is advisable 

to make prior arrangements with the 

relevant local guides before embarking 

on the trip here as the ancient forest 

reserve is devoid of luxurious facilities 

and modern amenities for those used 

to city living. 

For further information, please contact BRUNEI TOURISM at Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, Jalan Menteri Besar, Bandar Seri Begawan BB3910, 

Brunei Darussalam. Tel: (673) 238 2822, 238 2832 Fax: (673) 238 2824 Email: info@bruneitourism.travel Website: www.bruneitourism.travel 


Cover Story (4 – 9) 


Inside 

borneotalk.com 

20 

4 

Soas Mosque 

22 

Destination (10 – 16) 

Limbang • Lawas • Sibu Central Market • 

Sarawak Museum 

Events (17 – 23) 

Miri International Jazz Festival 2010 • Borneo 

Cultural Festival 2010 • Padawan Fest 2010 • 

Sarawak Regatta 2010 • Borneo International 

Kite Festival 2010 

Hotel (24 – 30) 

Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites • Grand Margherita 

Hotel • 360 Hotel • 360 Xpress • The Regency 

Plaza Hotel • The Regency Rajah Court Hotel • 

Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort • Tanahmas Sibu 

35 

Food (31 – 40) 

Atok Kopitiam • Little Hainan • SCR Corporation 

Sdn Bhd • Zest • Hong Kong Pau Café • Little Italy 

• Aha Organic 

Map (36 – 38) 

Sarawak - Kuching, Miri and Sibu • Brunei 

Darussalam - Bandar Seri Begawan 

Health (41 – 53) 

Adventures in WEIGHTloss • Kuching Specialist 

Hospital (KPJ) • Sarawak Health Department 

• London Fertility Centre • Timberland Medical 

Centre • PROSTAR • Tjantek Spa • Rangillia Spa 

Education (54 – 57) 

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) • UCSI 

University • Baking Industry Training Centre 

Singapore 

Books (58) 

MPH Bookstore 

Library (59) 

Sarawak State Library (PUSTAKA) 

Beauty (60) 

Pretty Women 

Shopping (61 – 63) 

Wisma Sanyan • Bintang Mega Mall 

Products (64 – 65) 

AVS Resources Sdn Bhd • Wee Hua Boo Trading 

Sdn Bhd 

Movies & What’s On (66) 

Star Cineplex 

Pets (67) 

My Home Pet Care 

People (68 – 69) 

Dr. Zulkifli Jantan • Dr. Sim Kui Hian 

Absolute Essentials (70 – 71) 

Monster’s Tongue • Somerset Gateway • TM 

• KFC 

17 

Month (Kuching) Temperature 

April 2010 20.4˚C - 35.5˚C moderate 

May 2010 20.6˚C - 36.0˚C moderate 

June 2010 20.2˚C - 35.7˚C moderate 

Weather Forecast (April - June 2010) For Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu & Miri 

Rainfall Month (Sibu) Temperature Rainfall Month (Bintulu) Temperature Rainfall 

April 2010 19.2˚C - 35.8˚C moderate April 2010 21.6˚C - 36.0˚C less 

May 2010 20.3˚C - 36.6˚C less 

May 2010 21.7˚C - 35.9˚C less 

June 2010 18.0˚C - 36.4˚C less 

June 2010 21.1˚C - 35.4˚C less 

Weather forecast provided by courtesy of Meteorological Services Department of Malaysia. 

BorneoTalk is published by Bumi Serasi. The contents of the magazine may not be reprinted or reproduced without prior written permission. The 

publisher is not liable for statements made and opinions expressed in the publication. 

Month (Miri) Temperature Rainfall 

April 2010 20.9˚C - 35.5˚C less 

May 2010 21.0˚C - 35.8˚C less 

June 2010 21.2˚C - 34.5˚C less 

Editor-In-Chief Ivy Pan Executive Editor S C Goh Marketing Ivy Pan, Jasmine Wong, Nancy Shukri Administration Rebina Noh 

Contributors Grace Balan-Law, S C Goh, S I Ten, Andy C, Mark Jacobson, Japri B Masli Design & Art Direction Steven Yap Photography David 

Joseph, Jasmine Wong, Mark Jacobson, Sarawak Information Department, Brunei Tourism Front Cover Image Masjid Jamek, Brunei Darussalam 

by Brunei Tourism Printer Teknik Print Sdn Bhd, Malaysia 

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, 

Write to us at BorneoTalk, 242E, Lorong 3, Jalan Green, 93150 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 082 427423, 238968, Fax: (6) 082 235152 

email: iconnec@pc.jaring.my 

The next issue of BorneoTalk will be out in July 2010. 

Endorsed by 

Ministry Of Urban Development Sarawak Tourism Board 

& Tourism Sarawak 

8 | BorneoTalkApr-Jun2010 

To Advertise In This Publication Call 

6 082 427423

Brunei Darussalam Health 

Hotel of choice 

Orchid Garden Hotel Brunei brings the pleasure of 

comfortable stay away from home to travellers 

When in Brunei for business or 

pleasure, Orchid Garden Hotel is the 

ideal place, with exemplary service, 

convenience and choice rooms that 

cater to every needs of guests. Just a 

short hop away from the international 

airport, it offers safe, comfortable rooms 

ranging from Standard, Deluxe to 

various Suites with standard facilities 

like tea/coffee making facilities, a 

refrigerator, sofa, and private toilet with 

shower as well as the added benefits 

like flat-screen LCD TV, high speed 

wireless Internet access, and features 

like kitchenette, dining area, microwave 

oven in all Suite rooms. 

Upon checking in guests will be 

served complimentary welcome 

drinks. The hotel’s Amanha Spa, 

equipped with Brunei’s largest 

heated Jacuzzi, is the place to sooth 

muscles and aches after a long trip 

or day of meetings. Alternatively 

work out at the Hotel Gym with a 

wide range of strengthening, toning 

equipment or take a dip in the Hotel 

swimming pool; all these facilities are 

for guests’ pleasure and convenience. 

The Hotel has two Food & Beverage 

outlets in its premises; The Goldiana 

Café & Lounge is a 24 hour coffee 

house where breakfast is served daily 

while The Vanda Chinese Restaurant 

is one of the Premier Chinese 

restaurants in Brunei offering ala 

carte and also Dim Sum. Goldiana 

Café features nightly International 

Buffet from Mondays to Fridays and 

the popular Steamboat buffet on 

Saturday nights. Breakfast comes 

complimentary with the room and 

on Sundays, the Vanda serves dim 

sum buffet brunch with superb 

range of choices. 

The Hotel’s, lobby lounge and 

restaurants are equipped with wireless 

Internet which is complimentary 

for all Hotel guests. There is a 

complimentary hotel shuttle service 

for Hotel guests who may wish to 

go to the main City centre or the 

commercial areas and for those who 

drive, parking bays are provided in 

the hotel’s underground parking. 

Orchid Garden Hotel is a favourite 

venue for many organisations and 

individuals to organise seminars 

or meetings in the function rooms 

available, namely the Caesar Grand 

Hall, Caesar I and II. All of them are 

well-equipped and can accommodate 

up to 700 guests at any one time, 

depending on your preferred style 

of arrangement. Whatever your 

needs and requirements are, be it for 

pleasure or business, Orchid Garden 

Hotel is the place in Brunei for you! 

Orchid Garden Hotel Brunei • Lot 31954, Spg. 9, Kg. Anggerek Desa, Jalan Berakas, Bandar Seri Begawan BB3713, Brunei Darussalam 

Tel: +673 2335544 Fax: +673 2335444 Email: reservations@orchidgardenbrunei.com 

www.orchidgardenbrunei.com 


Destination 

Limbang 

Rafting at Ulu Sungei Limbang 

Terikan River 

Sarawak’s famed World Heritage 

site, Gunung Mulu National Park 

has attracted visitors from all over 

the world to its myriad of caves and 

wildlife adventures since its opening 

in 1985. Many of these visitors also 

converge on Limbang town, sited 

along the river with the same name, 

as part of the itinerary of their tour in 

Sarawak’s most northern frontier 

bordering neighbouring Sabah 

state and the kingdom of Brunei 

Darussalam. In fact, Limbang division, 

which includes the districts of 

Limbang and Lawas cover an area of 

7,012 km, encircling part of Brunei in 

between them and sharing common 

border with Kalimantan Indonesia at 

the southern part. 

Babulang Festival 


Gunung Murud 

Tahai Salai Fish 

Since the takeover of Limbang by 

James Brooke in 1890, the town has 

undergone tremendous transformation 

following the independence of 

Malaysia and the emergence of 

Sarawak. Much of the early economic 

activities here were centered around 

the timber trade which had started 

since 1932 but gave way to the 

more prominent oil palm cultivation 

that stretches over 29,571 hectares 

today with a sprinkle of rubber, padi, 

coconut and fruit farms as well as 

livestock activities. Local inhabitants 

were mainly fishermen etching out a 

livelihood along the coastal waters of 

Brunei Bay, originally in small paddled 

boats and later with outboard 

engines and bigger boats. Today, 

cage cultures of fish have become a

Destination 

Batu Lawi 

Sarawak’s northern frontier town promises sights 

and thrills not available anywhere else in Sarawak! 

common feature along the tributaries 

in the division. First time visitors to 

Limbang or Lawas should try out the 

famed Ikan Tahai (smoked fish with 

coconut milk) which is one of the 

main drawing features for visitors from 

Brunei to Limbang. Equally attractive 

for many visitors to Limbang is the 

weekly Farmers market, held every 

Thursday where mainly bumiputera 

farmers with their jungle produce 

and local vegetables come out in full 

force to sell and go home with clutch 

of necessities bought in the town. 

With a population of over 40,000, 

Limbang is a multi-ethnic center as 

Malays, Iban, Bidayuh, Melanau, 

Chinese, Bisaya, Lun Bawang and 

others together make it an interesting 

confluence of cultures and traditions 

in a modern setting. 

In and around Limbang, there are 

many other activities for visitors too. 

The most adventurous ones will 

attempt the Headhunters Trail to 

Mulu National Park that transverses 

river, jungle trekking and staying over 

in longhouse along the way. Equally 

challenging adventures include trips 

to Sarawak’s highest peak at Gunung 

Murud and the enchanting Gunung 

Batu Lawi with its trademark feature 

of jagged rocks pointing to the 

sky. Closer to town is the Limbang 

Regional Museum, which was once 

a fort built during the colonial era 

and now a showcase of history of 

local people and their cultures. There 

is also the Bukit Mas recreational 

park, site of a once flourishing gold 

mine and a hot-spring mud pool in 

Meritam. The whole town comes 

alive whenever the speed boat races 

are held here as it involves many 

related activities like longboat 

races for locals and foreigners, pole 

wrestling and host of others. The 

one race that all visitors should see 

and participate in is the buffalo race, 

usually held in conjunction with the 

ethnic festival on June 4-6, which 

promises a lot of spills and thrills 

as the various categories of races 

Mud vacano-MUD POT 

at Kampung Meritam 

involve the hardy animals with mainly 

local riders. 

Limbang is blessed with modern 

infrastructure, which makes travelling 

an easy task to either the Sultanate 

of Brunei or towns like Lawas, Miri, 

Bintulu or even Kota Kinabalu. The 

fast way is to fly in and begin your 

adventures with a tour of the town, 

which features many new hotels and 

inns for travellers with different needs. 

It is also one of the most frequented 

places for visitors from Labuan, the 

international offshore banking island, 

which is just a short boat ride away. 

Anyone who has never been to 

Limbang certainly has not seen the 

beauty of the area with its serene 

surroundings and immense adventure 

possibilities! 

Bukit Mas Recreational Park 

LIMBANG Resident office 

Tingkat 6, Bangunan Limbang Plaza, Jalan Buangsiol, 98700 Limbang, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 085 202106 Fax: (6) 085 211005 


Destination 

Ba’Kelalan Apple 

Lawas Festival 

Ba’Kelalan 

Lawas Festival 

This border town between Sarawak and 

Sabah is a thriving center with huge potential 

for development and adventure tourism 

Strange as it may sound, people in 

Lawas are more familiar with Sabah’s 

visitors than those from Sarawak 

even though it is located in Sarawak! 

Geographically situated closest to 

the border between Sarawak and 

Sabah, Lawas is the last town on the 

northern fringe before one enters 

into the neighbouring Sabah state and 

together with Limbang, it straddles 

a part of the Sultanate of Brunei 

in between them, the two districts 

making up the Limbang division. On 

any visit here, expect to find visitors 

from Sabah and Brunei as these are 

among the main contributors to the 

town’s economic activities. 

Lawas has slightly over 30,000 

people comprising a mix of Malays, 

Kedayan, Chinese, Lun Bawang, Tagel 

and others scattered over the district 

with the majority centered on the 

town located along the Lawas River. 

Traditionally a fishing outpost with 

mainly Malay fishermen harvesting the 

rich Brunei bay area of the South 

China Sea, Lawas is now a modern 

administrative centre with modern 

infrastructure and facilities to link 

with the rest of the state and whole 


Tahai Fish

Destination 

Merarap Hot Spring 

especially during the early morning 

and late evening sun’s reflections 

on the water. During the peak of 

the wet padi growing season when 

harvesting is about to begin, the 

surrounding lowland in between the 

various highlands are a sea of green 

with lush golden heads of padi, every 

photographers’ dream session for 

idyllic landscape shots. As in many 

parts of Lawas and Limbang, water 

buffalos play an important role in the 

farms here and these two northern 

towns are the only places in Sarawak 

where you can ride on one of these 

huge animals. The annual buffalo race 

held in the month of June is one that 

should not be missed if buffalo racing 

is on your list of must see and do. 

Kampung Awat-Awat 

world. Off shore fishing is now 

supplemented by fish cage culture 

in areas like Kampung Awat-Awat, 

Kuala Lawas and Kampung Punang 

while land-based activities are centered 

around oil palm plantations, padi, 

rubber and livestock rearing. When 

in Lawas, take a short visit to the 

town’s farmer market held every 

Wednesday to sample the wide 

varieties of jungle produce and other 

exotic food made available by the 

rural farmers and gatherers. Like in 

Limbang, the Ikan Tahai (smoked 

fish with coconut milk) is among the 

most sought after items by visitors 

from far and near as the taste is both 

unique and great! An experimental 

apple farm in the interior highland 

town of Ba’Kelalan has flourished 

to become a tourist attraction apart 

from the cool and spectacular highland 

scenery there. 

With the close proximity to Brunei, 

Labuan, Sabah and Kalimantan, 

Limbang and Lawas are also the 

main entry and exit points for visitors 

and goods between the neighbouring 

nations and state. A number of 

customs checkpoints and CIQs are 

also set up which provide an orderly 

inspection and clearance of goods, 

which in turn provide further boost 

to the local economy here. To cater 

to the growing tourism potential of 

the town, Lawas is now a booming 

center for hotels and other related 

activities, including handicrafts and 

guided tours to the interiors. Sri 

Malaysia Hotel, Lawas, the only Sri 

Malaysia Hotel in Sarawak which is 

owned by the Ministry of Tourism is 

expected to be opened in September 

this year. Lawas airport makes visiting 

the town relative easy and is also a 

major transit point for visitors from 

Sabah, Brunei and Labuan to other 

towns and cities of Sarawak. 

Incidentally, the Malay fishermen 

village of Kuala Lawas, Punang and 

Awat-Awat are built on stilts and 

actually are floating villages, which 

are unique and interesting for any 

visitor. Ba’Kelalan on the fringe 

international border with Kalimantan 

Indonesia is a highland adventure 

destination that is both refreshing 

and scenic. Take a stroll along the 

Lawas Waterfront and be serenade 

by the beauty of the surroundings 

Karangan at Hulu Ba’Kelalan 

Lawas Waterfront 

Kampung Punang 

LAWAS District office 

Jalan Gaya, 98850 Lawas, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 085 283103 Fax: (6) 085 284553 


Destination 

Sibu CENTRAL MARKET 

Convergence of 

The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak being given ‘mata kuching’ 

to try by a native trader during his recent visit in 2010 

Often the best place to visit in a new 

country or city is the local market; 

this is best exemplified by the Central 

Market in Sibu, Sarawak’s largest 

town in the central region. Touted to 

be the largest market of its kind in 

Malaysia, some 1400 traders ply their 

trade in this huge complex right in 

the midst of the sprawling town. It is 

literally alive the whole day – the early 

Sibu Municipal Council chairman Datuk Tiong Thai 

King briefing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun 

Razak on the operation of the central market 


morning crowd shopping for daily 

necessities followed by the afternoon 

shoppers comprising workers just 

coming off their shifts and the night 

crowd mainly for a relaxing drink and 

chat with friends. 

Spread over two floors, the market 

is ideally suited for both shoppers 

and traders; the lower level being an 

open area divided into sections for 

various wet and dry goods while the 

upper floor has food and drink stalls, 

retail outlets and even boutique and 

beauty shops! Since it’s opening in 

1998, it has been graced by visitors 

from all over the world, dignitaries 

from far and near as well as locals who 

flocked to it for almost everything 

they need. A quick tour of the 

ground floor guarantees one to meet 

with daily surprises ranging from an 

exotic fruit to strange looking fish 

or the biggest live chicken you have 

ever seen! In addition to housing the 

largest collection of fresh vegetables

Destination 

Surprises and 

Plentitude 

The Sibu Central Market is truly amazing for its varieties 

and convenience 

in one single location in Sibu, visitors 

to the market can also get to meet 

native entrepreneurs cum farmers 

who ply their traditional varieties 

side by side with the mainly Chinese 

vendors. The dry goods choices too are 

just as astounding, mainly salted fish 

and other sea products, mushrooms 

of different shapes and sizes and 

dried, preserved vegetables and 

meats. The smell of the market can 

be over-powering at times but this is 

what makes it comes alive everyday, 

rain or shine and always exciting and 

unpredictable! 

Walk up to the first floor and choose 

from the varieties of local delicacies 

available here; the ever popular 

Foochow ‘kam pua’ mee (noodles 

cooked with lard) or Malay fried 

mee, vegetarian dishes to sea food 

meals and certainly whatever is 

available fresh of the day from the 

traders on the lower floor of the 

market. Equally impressive are the 

types of drinks served, from hot and 

cold beverages to local favourites like 

chengdol with coconut milk, glass 

jelly with sarsi, red beans with milk 

as well as different brands of beer. 

Normally, these drink outlets operate 

for about 16 hours daily, a convenience 

that most shoppers take for granted. 

Conveniently sited close to the busiest 

jetty in Sarawak, the Sibu express 

boats wharf, the market is a natural 

place for upriver inhabitants to shop 

and sell local produce, mainly fruits 

and vegetables and bring back basic 

necessities of sugar, flour and oil. Local 

folks often venture to the market 

in the hope of getting the seasonal 

fruits freshly brought down by these 

natives and begin the usually rounds 

of bargaining, adding to the busy 

and noisy atmosphere there. There 

is certainly no other market like the 

Central Market of Sibu in Malaysia as 

it exemplifies the true picture of the 

country of different cultures, races 

and religions, all converging in one 

location in perfect harmony! 

For further information, please contact Sibu Municipal Council at Level 19-24, Wisma Sanyan No. 1, Jalan Sanyan, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 084 333411 Fax: (6) 084 320240 


Destination 

Sarawak Museum Department 

A step back in time 

The Sarawak Museum invokes memories of 

grand traditions and life forms, which provide useful 

lessons for tomorrow 

One of Asia’s most famous museums, the Sarawak Museum has one of the best collection of artifacts 

and specimens that is unrivaled on display for public viewing. Admission is free! The massive 

collections have warranted the expansion of the museum into various venues throughout Kuching 

city as well as smaller museums in other towns in the state. Among the most frequented ones are 

the iconic Old Sarawak Museum, standing majestically on top of the hill, the Arts Museum on the 

adjacent hill slope at the same venue and the Textile Museum, located in the equally impressive Pavilion 

Building of British style architecture built in 1907. 

Old Sarawak Museum 

This was originally known as the Sarawak Museum though 

it was also popularly referred to as the Old building, which 

to many is appropriate as it remains an iconic site in Kuching 

City. A rich collection of mammals, birds, reptiles specimens 

from Sarawak are on mounted display on the ground floor 

and these represent only about 15 percent of the collections of 

the museum! The top floor showcases collections of artifacts 

of indigenous peoples of Sarawak, including unique ear-rings, 

carvings, basketry and others. 

Arts Museum 

Comprising three buildings in one, the 

first one built in 1892, next to the Old 

Museum, was originally the Curator’s 

house. Interestingly it was even used as 

the British Council in the 1960s and this 

was connected to the other building, 

the Curator’s office, with an annex in 

1965. The Curator’s office building was 

built in 1907 and together, these three 

buildings today becomes the Art Museum. 

Numerous art pieces are on display inside 

ranging from sculptors to moulds and 

paintings from days gone by. 

Textile Museum 

Here Sarawak’s famed Pua Kumbu 

made by the Iban is among the 

hundreds of textile items on display. 

Of interest to many are the numerous 

motifs and designs which are the 

trade marks of the different ethnic 

groups as each has specific 

characteristics attributed to them. 

As the materials used in most of the 

creations were all locally sourced, the 

early weavers were actually going 

‘green’ even before today’s realisation 

of doing just that! 

Sarawak Museum Department • Tun Abang Haji Openg Road, 93566 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 082 244232 Fax: (6) 082 246680 

Email: museum@po.jaring.my Website: www.museum.sarawak.gov.my 


Events 

the music has just begun! 

14 th - 15 th May 2010 

Amina Figarova 

Jazz fans, music lovers – make double 

sure that 14 th - 15 th May you are in 

Miri, Sarawak for the annual Miri Jazz 

Festival. The ensemble party for the 

coming Fest features a list of musicians 

of multiple talents with legendary 

backgrounds and all coming together 

in this Resort City! 

US Blues Hall of Fame inductee James 

Cotton and his Blues Band who had 

shared the stage with legends in the 

music industry like B.B. King, Johnny 

Winter, Santana, Led Zeppelin and 

Grateful Dead, will be performing live 

and this is a music legend that’s not to 

be missed! Michael Shrieve, inducted 

into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 

(1998), was the original drummer for 

Santana and had done recordings with 

greats like Mick Jagger, Pete Townsend, 

George Harrison and Steve Winwood 

is another performer who will send 

audience jumping for more. 

Closer to home are the teams from 

Thailand and Indonesia featuring 

Mellow Motif pair of Eugene Ang and 

Natasha Patamapong who has cut 

albums with Warner Music as well as 

teaching professor at Rungsit University 

Conservatory, Thailand. Indonesian 

SimakDialog team, with five albums to 

their credit, had extensive tours with rave 

reviews in Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal 

and will be touring USA in November 

with support from the Indonesian 

government, further showcasing their 

rich repertoire of talent. 

Holland’s Amina Figarova with more 

than a dozen recordings, has been a 

globe trotting musician with her rich 

array of funk fusion to classic post-hop 

to avant-garde, thrilling audience from 

Europe to Asia and the Americas. Swiss 

guitarist Jeremy Tordjman can go from 

ballads to jazz, blues to rock and funk 

to classic and has been active with 

African influenced music to give a mixed 

array of music that’s both pleasing and 

energetic. 

Norbert Susemihl and his New Orleans 

All Stars comprise five outstanding 

musicians from Europe and America 

coming together for a compelling fusion 

of music featuring both old school and 

Revival to Calypso, Swing, Dixie and 

traditional jazz. Violinist extraordinary 

Ricardo Herz serenades with his 

explosive rhythms of Brazilian jazz 

incorporated into the music, creating 

new sensations for audiences around 

the world. In his first ever visit to Asia, 

Miri Jazz Fest is indeed the venue to be 

when these great musicians take to the 

stage in a show to remember! 

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), Visitors’ Information Centre Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 085 434181 Fax: (6) 085 434179 

www.mirijazzfestival.com • www.sarawaktourism.com • www.TicketCharge.com.my 


Events 

An extraordinary 

July in 

Sibu 

16 th - 25 th July 2010 

Visit the annual Borneo Cultural Festival and 

Trade Expo happening in central Sarawak 

Each year, in July, foreign visitors 

descend onto Sibu in huge numbers 

for the Borneo Cultural Festival 

(BCF), the one and only ethnic 

cultural extravaganza in Sarawak. 

The entire week is devoted to a 

showcase of the diverse races of 

people in Sarawak, highlighting their 

costumes, dances, food and games, 

all in one location, the Town Square. 

Convenient and easily accessible, 

the festival provides every visitor the 

opportunity to get close up to the 

performances on stage and sample 

the exotic dishes and drinks as well 

as engage with the performers. This 

year’s highlights will also include 

Kumpulan Akasha, a musical group 

from KL, cultural groups from Ningde 

City of China and also Taiwan. 

In each of the three corners of the 

Town Square will be found the 

Dayaks, Malay/Melanau and Chinese 

displays with distinct costumes and 

sets while the main stage will be 

used on the last three final nights of 

the festival to showcase combined 

performances, which reflect the rich 

diversity and harmony of the people 

in Sarawak. The Dayaks group is 

made up of various sub-ethnic tribes 

including Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, 

Penan and their different costumes, 

dances are showcased to give 

visitors a sample of these diverse 

rich cultures. 

Visitors with limited time will find 

the festival an eye opener and also 

enriching experience as they will 

get a sample of the various ethnic 

communities’ cultures in one single 

location. In addition the festival brings 

together many samples of local dishes 

of these people and guests can 

get first hand knowledge of their 

preparations as well as gain invaluable 

tips on medicinal plants. As always, 

local fruits are always available in the 

markets around Sibu, especially at the 

Central Market. 

A BCF Trade Expo comprising private 

and public sectors teams and 

organisations will also be held at the 

Town Square as part of the activities 

during the week. With the large 

number of visitors expected during the 

BCF, you can be sure that the number 

of new products and services on show 

will be extraordinary too! Just next 

to the Town Square is the Lau King 

Howe Hospital Memorial Museum, a 

showpiece of the once busy hospital 

for the town. The museum displays 

unique instruments of days gone by 

and a reminder of the sacrifices of the 

early founders in bringing health care 

to the people of Sibu. Start making 

plans for these exciting events coming 

up in July this year in Sibu and bring 

the family for a memorable experience 

in this busy riverine town that’s home 

to the rich and diverse groups of people. 

For further information, please contact: 

Sibu Municipal Council • Level 19-24, Wisma Sanyan No. 1, Jalan Sanyan, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 084 333411 Fax: (6) 084 320240 

Email: smc@smc.gov.my Website: www.sibu.gov.my Sarawak Tourism Board • Tel: (6) 082 423600 Fax: (6) 082 416700 

Visitors’ Information Centre Sibu • Tel: (6) 084 340980 Fax: (6) 084 341280 


Events 

Padawan Fest 

2010 

Fiesta for All! 

Shows, events and competitions make 

the annual fest a success! 

Get ready! The annual Padawan Fest 

is here again! 

This annual fixture of fun and games, 

exhibitions and fairs held in the 

Padawan municipality is a festival 

for locals and visitors to enjoy and 

participate in. The events are held in 

various venues to expose these unique 

places and people to visitors, fostering 

friendship and providing insights of 

the charms of the municipality, which 

is one of the three that makes up 

Kuching City. 

A challenging feat is the Padawan 

Nature Challenge, requiring cycling 

and trekking skills in jungle terrains 

that is also opened to both amateurs 

and professionals. Participants will 

get to enjoy the Borneo Highlands 

Resort with its lush rolling golfing 

greens and cool temperatures while 

experiencing the great hospitality 

of the Annah Rais longhouse of the 

Bidayuh people during the course of 

the event. 

Experience white water river rafting 

race and get close up with nature in 

the Padawan Raft Safari as the route 

takes participants along rushing rivers 

with tropical forests on either side. 

Opened to amateurs and experts 

in team events, many take this 

opportunity to enjoy river rafting in a 

safe, organised manner, which by the 

way is also economical! 

A number of cultural performances 

featuring the diverse groups of 

people of the Padawan municipality 

will also be held. This is a photo 

taking opportunity for visitors of the 

different costumes of these groups 

of performers and at the same time, 

enjoy the music coming from the 

traditional instruments. 

The Padawan Fair held at the Batu 

Kawah New Township is always a busy 

affair with families taking advantage of 

the great number of fun stores, rides 

and games for children and adults. 

Food vendors showcasing their varieties 

will also be at the Fair as it provides the 

ideal exposure for their products. 

Residents of Padawan are not left out 

of the festivities as they can participate 

in the Landscape Competition opened 

to all residing in the municipality. 

Officers will go on their rounds to 

inspect the different locations to 

determine the winners who will be 

awarded prizes and recognitions. The 

Padawan Invitational Football League 

is another competition for the younger 

residents to look forward to. 

Check out the dates for these events 

and participate! 

Padawan Fest 2010 

• Padawan Invitational League April-June | MPP Stadium, Siburan 

• Padawan Fair June-July | Batu Kawah New Township 

• BHR Padawan Nature Challenge 2010 4 July | Kampung Annah Rais & 

Borneo Highlands Resort 

MPP Chairman Challenge Trophy (open) 

- 10KM Cycling – Annah Rais to BHR Plateau • 15KM Trekking within BHR 

Trekking Group I (open) 

- 15KM Trekking within BHR 

Trekking Group II (open) 


Trekking Group III (Ladies Category) 


• Padawan Landscape Competition May-September 

• Padawan Raft Safari 31 October | Kampung Danu & Kampung Git, Jalan Borneo Heights 

PADAWAN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL • Kota Padawan, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 082 615566 Fax: (6) 082 611832 

Email: mpp@tm.net.my Website: www.mpp.gov.my 


Events 

The 

Malaysia 

The Sarawak Regatta is a race of genuine cultural 

diversity in unity in the pursuit of team glory 

Bang! They are off! Putting every 

muscle into their oars, the paddlers’ 

dig into the water in unison as the 

long, sleek and beautifully decorated 

boats glide over the water towards 

the finish line. Welcome to Sarawak’s 

Regatta, the premier boat race with a 

proud tradition dating back to 1872. 

Now an annual event, this spectacular 

race is a cultural gathering of sorts as 

boats associated with the different 

ethnic races come together to vie for 

the special prizes at stake. 

Held along the scenic Sarawak River 

with the new iconic state Legislative 

building and British-styled Astana in 

the background, the weekend races 

by the famed Kuching Waterfront are 

a crowd puller. Young and old, locals 

and foreigners flock to the races, 

captivated by the sheer energetic 

splashes of the participants in the 

race to glory. Apart from the races, 

spectators are treated to cultural 

performances and even to open 

houses by the Malay community 

on the other side of the river. The 

entertainment includes display of 

various dances associated with 

the Malays and accompanied by 

traditional drums, gongs and even 

violins! Guests are encouraged to 

participate in these dances and to 

sample some of the delicacies specially 

made for the occasion like traditional 

cakes, curries and snacks. Many small 

makeshift stalls are set up to sell drinks 

and other food items during the 

regatta weekend apart from the 

established food and beverages 

outlets facing the Waterfront. The 

spectators are certainly spoilt for 

choice in the range of food available. 

Just how big is the regatta Well, 

last year over 6,000 participants took 

part in the races under the different 

categories in over 300 teams of both 

men and women events. Coming from 

far and near, these race enthusiasts 

are out for a taste of this spectacular 

race that features boats of different 

shapes and designs as well as a splash 

of colours. Even more intriguing are 

some of the costumes of these racers 

which range from traditional gear to 

modern slick cuts and designs and 

array of hats, caps to captivate the 

hordes of photographers busy shooting 

amazing pictures of the races, 

participants and crowd. 

The Sarawak Regatta has come to 

signify the spirit of the nation as 

1 Malaysia in the sheer number of 

participants from different ethnic 

groups as well as members of the 

participating crowd. There are 

certainly no barriers to mixing during 

the event and equally promising is 

the extent of sharing and participating 

in the different categories by the 

various groups of people. Organising 

this annual event is the team from 

the Kuching Resident Office and 

District Office who take pride in 

the ever growing significant of the 

regatta as a unifying factor for the 

state and nation as well as putting 

Sarawak on the global tourism map. 

With the ever increasing number of 

participants and crowd each year, the 

organising committee has faithfully 

added more events and shows as well 

as other performances throughout 

the day and night to make the 

weekend event a showpiece for all 

to remember and take home with 

a smile. After all, Sarawak is a land 


Events 

Boat Race 

. . . the race for peace 

31 st July - 2 nd August 2010 • 

Kuching Waterfront 

of smile wherever one goes to and 

this unique feature is ever present 

throughout the weekend despite all 

the frantic pursuit of the races! 

To get the best shot of the Sarawak 

Regatta this year, make sure that you 

are well versed with the different races. 

With more than 6,000 participants 

in over 300 teams taking part, it is 

certainly no easy task to get the best 

of these races. The final day races are 

certainly the most fervent and eagerly 

anticipated ones but equally significant 

are the races over the other days. The 

committee have the various races 

spread out to give every spectator the 

opportunity to see these inspiring boats 

in their glory during the races. 

The various categories of races are 

based on the types of boats, number 

of rowers and also gender while the 

speed category involve the jet ski 

riders racing with style and grace 

on their machines. For spectators, 

the Bidar boat races are the most 

spectacular; with over 30 paddlers in 

a boat of over 72 feet long and three 

feet wide cutting across the water 

with white sprays coming from both 

sides in the pursuit of the coveted 

trophy. Various categories ranging 

from men, women, government 

agencies, corporate and even VIPs 

have been planned for Bidar boat 

races for the regatta this year as 

they have proven to be popular and 

captivating for both participants and 

spectators alike. These Bidar boats 

were the main means of transport 

for the upriver Ibans in Sarawak and 

the tradition has been passed down 

over generations, culminating in their 

revival in the Sarawak Regatta. 

The other races will see the traditional 

Malay Balok boats with seven 

participants each racing one another 

while the Kenyalang boat will feature 

corporate and varsity teams. Each 

Kenyalang boat can accommodate 

15 to 20 paddlers and last year a 

special tourists race was also staged 

in a Kenyalang boat to get foreigners 

to participate in the regatta. For 

soloist and teams of two in the kayak 

categories, the races are open to any 

individual and team to add to the 

excitement of the event. As the kayak 

is a popular sport in other countries 

and in the Olympics, this event will 

encourage more to take up the sport 

here. 

The regatta is not complete without 

some hilarious events like the duck 

catching and pole climbing categories. 

Always a crowd pleaser, these events 

are also open to the public and have 

always been popular among the 

younger generation who excel in 

these sports. For more insights into 

what the organisers have planned 

for this year’s events, you just have to 

show up and watch the antics of the 

enthusiastic crowd in the hilarious 

events categories! 

There is certainly no better weekend 

than the Sarawak Regatta event where 

the spills and thrills are all part of the 

fun, excitement and harmony of the 

people here. Unlike many cultural 

events, this is one where the crowd is 

able to participate and cheer for their 

favourites and get to enjoy other 

cultural extravaganzas all in one 

place, right here in Kuching, capital 

of Sarawak, Malaysia’s largest state. 

For further information, please contact: 

Organised by: 

RESIDENT’S OFFICE 

KUCHING DIVISION 

Jalan Barrack, 93300 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 082 422263 Fax: (6) 082 244435 

Supported by: 

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) 

Tel: (6) 082 423600 Fax: (6) 082 416700 

Website: www.sarawaktourism.com 

www.sarawakregatta.com 


Events 

Flying fest 


Events 

The 

6 th Borneo International 

Kite festival in Bintulu once 

again brings thrills and spectacular 

aerial displays in the heart of the Gas Town 

30 th September - 3 rd October 2010 • Bintulu, Sarawak 

Kite flying is certainly one activity 

where age does not matter; the 

Borneo International Kite Festival in 

Bintulu this 30 th September to 3 rd 

October will once again showcase 

the fun, exciting gathering of young 

and old, men and women from all 

over the world. These enthusiasts, 

some whole family, will display 

the most intriguing, colourful and 

magnificent kites to take to the sky, 

right in the middle of this Gas Town 

in northern Sarawak. 

Stunt kites are those that can really 

do unbelievable maneuvers in the air 

and under the skillful hands of these 

experts, you will be thrilled by these 

aerial displays. Yes, you can even try 

your hands at it as it only takes a few 

minutes of watching these stunning 

kites of all shapes and sizes in the sky 

to immediately fall in love with the 

sport! Always graceful and dignified 

when in the air, these kites can ‘wow’ 

spectators with their incredible dives, 

climbs and ‘dance’ routines, which 

ultimately lift everyone’s spirits for 

the day! It’s never a boring day 

when at the festival as these stunning 

kites soar with everyone’s spirit and 

make moves that bring smiles and 

appreciation on all the faces in the 

crowd. 

Spectators can mingle with these 

experts and learn about kite flying 

during the festival and at the same 

time, make their own kites as 

workshops are also conducted at 

the venue for those interested in the 

artistry and construction of these 

magical kites. Malaysia’s famous 

Wau, the traditional kites common in 

the east coast of peninsula will also 

be among those taking to the air and 

in previous years, the craftsmen were 

also present to show the intricate 

steps taken in making the Wau. First 

timers to the festival will no doubt 

be surprised to learn firsthand that 

some of these kites are so complex 

that it takes two handlers to fly one! 

Hence, the workshop is an ideal 

place to rub shoulders with these 

experts and gain knowledge of the 

interesting sport of kite flying. 

Also held in conjunction with the 

festival are cultural shows and also 

displays and exhibition of products as 

well as food stalls featuring traditional 

food to exotic ones. The event is 

like a carnival gathering and equally 

interesting will be the many types of 

kites put up for sale with the necessary 

gears that go with them. Children 

are rewarded for their colouring 

skills in the competition held at the 

festival. The Borneo International 

Kite festival is always interesting and 

eventful. Since it started in 2005, 

the event has continued to grow in 

number of participants and crowd, as 

the downtown venue is so convenient 

and accessible to everyone. 

For more information on the event, please contact the Bintulu Development Authority at Wisma Bintulu, No 1 Jalan Tanjung Kidurong 

or call (6) 086 334680 / 3322277, fax: (6) 086 330099 and website at www.bda.gov.my or www.borneokite.com 


Hotel 

Kuching’s first international hotel, 

the Grand Margherita Hotel recently 

had extensive renovations of its 

lobby, Orchid Garden Coffee House, 

Rajang Lobby Lounge and Sadong 

meeting room. 

GRAND MARGHERITA HOTEL CELEBRATES 

COMPLETION OF MAKEOVER 

lobby 

The Hotel’s new interiors now feature 

an elegant contemporary design and 

guests now enter into a spacious and 

lively lobby enhanced with stylish 

furnishings, striking and cheerful 

coloured carpets and artworks. To add 

a sensory experience for guests at an 

emotional level, a scent machine has 

been installed to diffuse an invigorating 

scent that relaxes the body and mind. 

Located at the lobby, the hotel’s 

Business Centre has also been 

tastefully done up and includes a 

conference room and internet station. 

A favourite dining place for many, the 

hotel’s Orchid Garden Coffee House 

has been totally revamped. The 150- 

seat venue allows diners to whet up 

their appetites in a comfy yet trendy 

ambience featuring contemporary and 

sleek furnishings, wooden panels and 

sheer glass treatments. A key feature 

of this dining outlet is the expanded 

Show Kitchen, which now has more 

distinctive open kitchens, hence 

enabling patrons to dine among 

the live culinary action creating an 

interactive restaurant experience. 

Serapi Wing Mock-up Room 

Rajang Lobby Lounge 

Looking chic in bold hues of red and 

black, regulars to the hotel’s Rajang 

Lobby Lounge will welcome the 

dramatic change of this lounge. Aside 

from the overall new look, new 

additions included the glass-walled 

cellar featuring a fine wine selection 

and a stage tucked at the far end for 

live band performances. 

Meanwhile, the Sadong meeting room 

has been enlarged and now offers 

more flexibility to cater to various 

small to medium-sized functions. 

Cardio Exercise Room 

Maximizing the hotel’s prime location 

with the Sarawak river as its backdrop, 

floor-to-ceiling glass walls and doors 

have been used extensively throughout 

the lobby, Orchid Garden Coffee 

House and Rajang Lobby Lounge to 

take advantage of the scenic view of 

the hotel’s poolside and the river, and 

exude a sun-kissed environment. 

Other improvements carried out in 

the last 12 months included new 

equipment for the hotel’s Cardio 

Exercise Room, new beds and LCD 

TVs in all guestrooms. The Grand 

Margherita Hotel has also introduced 

a new service by engaging a partner 

to operate the Borneo Odyssey Spa 

at its former Tribes Restaurant. 

Orchid Garden Coffee House 

Phase 2 of the hotel’s upgrading 

program, which has started since 

January 2010, involves the renovation 

of 139 guestrooms including rooms on 

its Executive Club floor and Lounge at 

the hotel’s Serapi Wing. It is expected 

to be completed by end of May 2010. 

The renovation of the Grand Margherita 

Hotel reinforces the hotel brand 

amongst Kuching’s most wellestablished 

hotels. It also marked 

the hotel’s commitment towards 

improving its product and services 

on par to international standards to 

ensure it continues to offer its guests 

the definitive hotel stay. 

In addition to its website (www. 

grandmargherita.com), the hotel 

has introduced its mobile reservation 

service - m.gmh.my. The first hotel in 

Sarawak to offer this service, travellers 

can now securely reserve a room, 

view, change or cancel an existing 

reservation at Grand Margherita, while 

on the go using their web-enabled cell 

phone or mobile device. Furthermore, 

mobile users can also use the portal 

to get information on hotel facilities 

and services. 

A name you can trust! 

www.grandmargherita.com / m.gmh.my 

Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, P.O. Box 2362, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (60 82) 423 111 Fax: (60 82) 426 169 Email: contact@gmh.my 

Kuching Central Reservations Office | Tel: (60 82) 418 911 Fax: (60 82) 236 041 Email: reservations@gmh.my 


Hotel 

5 Star rooms 

at affordable price 

Rates from 

RM135++* 

* terms & conditions apply 

Hock Lee Centre, Hotel Tower, Jalan Datuk Abang Abdul Rahim, 93450 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 082 484888 Fax: (6) 082 484999 Email: reservation@360kuching.com Website: www.360kuching.com 


Hotel 

Luxury for Less… 

Wisma Phoenix, Jalan Song Thian Cheok, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 082 236060 Fax: (6) 082 237070 

Email: reservation@360xpress.com.my Website: www.360xpress.com.my 

Latest budget boutique hotel in Kuching City 

Be among the first to experience the clean, warm and 

comfortable rooms of this brand new hotel in the heart of 

Kuching City and be captivated by its charm. Comprising 

98 rooms in the Wisma Phoenix building, 360Xpress 

Citycenter promises guests a top-notch stay with its range 

of facilities at budget prices. 

Every room has direct internet access, shower facilities, 

air conditioning, channel TV services, tea/coffee making 

facilities and more; all these come complimentary when 

you check in. In addition, the hotel uses only high quality 

linens with anti dust 5 star quality beds and guests can 

also make complimentary use of the washing machines 

and dryers in the laundry room. Great care and much 

thinking has been incorporated into the concepts for this 

boutique hotel to ensure guests will enjoy their stay and 

make return trips often! 

For those new to Kuching City, Wisma Phoenix is 

adjacent to the Central Business District and in close 

proximity to places of interest and recreation; in fact, all 

are within minutes walk away while restaurants, food, 

boutiques and entertainment outlets are also all conveniently 

nearby. 

Facilities and Amenities: 

- Ensuite bathrooms 

- 24 hours reception 

- Complimentary use of air 

conditioning units 

- Complimentary use of hair dryer 

- Complimentary use of towels 

- Complimentary toiletries (soap 

Richard and shampoo) S.K.Wong 

Hotel Manager 

HP - : +6017-222 Complimentary 0533 use of minibar 

E-mail 

fridge 

: richardwong@360kuching.com 

- Complimentary use of wired 

internet access in every room 

- Complimentary use of wifi in 

hotel lobby 

- Complimentary use of washing 

machines and dryers in laundry 

room 

- 32”LCD TV with more than 20 

local, cable and satellites channels 

- Security room safe 

- Bottled drinking water 

- Luxury shower 

- 5 star beds and satin cotton 

sheets 

- Tea & coffee making facilities 

- Airport transfer (minimum 

charge) 

- RFID Security Door Locks 

Rates from RM 49.99 nett * 

MAS 

Secret Recipe 

Tune 

Hotel 

* terms & conditions apply. 


Hotel 

Familiarity, trust and 

reliability 

Regency Plaza Hotel Bintulu is the choice destination when in Bintulu, Sarawak 

Anyone who is a regular of Bintulu will testify that for 

variety and constantly changing offering of delectable 

dishes, The Regency Plaza Hotel Bintulu will always be 

the place of choice. Culinary delights ranging from local 

favourites and other Asian delights to exquisite western 

dishes are specially prepared to whet the appetites of 

even the most discerning guests. Business treats or 

families get-together can be arranged at a reasonable 

cost in a very pleasant ambient surrounding. Be it for 

business or pleasure, with its central location in this 

bustling Gas Town, The Regency Plaza Hotel is the 

prime convening venue. 

Corporate events and seminars are routinely held here 

as the facilities available are comprehensive. With 161 

rooms ranging from Superior to Deluxe, to suit different 

budgets and requirements, the choices are aplenty and 

each comes equipped with TV, IDD phone, coffee/tea 

making facilities, 24-hour room service and more. Guests 

are welcomed to utilise the Business Centre and the 

Coffee House as well as facilities like the swimming 

pool for entertaining clients and friends. The warm 

and courteous staff too will make your stay at the hotel 

a most pleasurable and memorable experience. 

PLAZA HOTEL • BINTULU 

SARAWAK • MALAYSIA 

Within walking distance from The Regency Plaza Hotel 

are located shopping, banking and entertainment 

centres plus other amenities, providing ease and 

convenience to all. 

The Regency Plaza Hotel Bintulu has over the years 

established itself as the premier address for business 

and group tours to this town. Continuous upgrading 

of its rooms and facilities with its modern layout and 

settings have rendered the hotel even more endearing 

to guests and patrons from far and near. As a pioneer 

in the hotel industry here, it has built a solid rapport 

with guests from all over the world making it a 

preferred destination for many. 

To further explore this northern part of Sarawak, the 

nearby Similajau National Park is a good starting point 

to enjoy the splendour of nature or head for the nearby 

beach to enjoy a day in the sun. Not forgetting of 

course is the mini zoo where exotic wild animals are 

to be found. For ideas on the best places to visit, the 

hotel staff are always available to assist. 

116, Taman Sri Dagang, Jalan Abang Galau, 97000 Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 086 335111 Fax: (6) 086 332742 Email: rihbtu@yahoo.com 


www.theregency.com.my

Hotel 

Cosy and 

refreshing 

dining 

experience 

The White Rajah Restaurant beckons you 

to a new level of dining out experience! 

There’s now one more good reason to stay or visit the Regency 

Rajah Court Hotel, Kuching! A newly renovated restaurant 

has emerged from the old place and presents a new indoor 

and outdoor dining experience for guests, corporate clients 

and the public. The warm lighting with modern contemporary 

interior decor and furnishings immediately makes for a very 

welcoming and cozy atmosphere. Adorning the walls are 

paintings of the White Rajahs of Sarawak, in reference to the 

hotel’s namesake, giving the modern restaurant a touch of 

colonial and historical appeal. 

Inside, the restaurant seats 210 guests at any one time 

in a relaxing setting and there are also two private 

rooms, offering guests the option of dining without the 

usual buzz and chatter from other patrons. Food served 

includes varieties of Western, Chinese, Indian and Malay 

favourites, served in ala carte and international buffet 

styles. The salad bar is a new addition to the menu selection 

in the restaurant and it changes daily giving guests a 

wide choice of fresh and nutritious salads from local and 

imported vegetables. As in most new concept restaurants 

today, the open kitchen system is in place here, allowing 

guests the opportunity to see their food being prepared 

in front of their eyes, and picking up cooking tips at the 

same time too! The White Rajah Restaurant opens daily 

from 6.30am to 1am and apart from the varieties of 

food, it also serves drinks ranging from local favourites to 

exquisite international blends. 

The 62-seat outdoor setting is also a preference to many 

as guests will be dining around the hotel’s swimming 

pool and its cascading waterfall, a sight reminiscent of a 

great getaway in a tropical paradise. The entire restaurant 

is tastefully finished and great emphasis is placed upon 

cleanliness here; from the kitchen to the serving staff to 

the presentation of food. The White Rajah Restaurant 

is one place that should be high on your list should you 

prefer dining in a great ambient setting and with a wide 

choice of tantalizing delights. 

RAJAH COURT HOTEL 

KUCHING • SARAWAK • MALAYSIA 

www.theregency.com.my 

For enquiries and reservations, contact us at The Regency Rajah Court Hotel • Lot 6115, Section 64, Jalan Tun Razak, 93450 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 082 484799, 484791 Fax: (6) 082 482750 Email: rihkch@yahoo.com 


The center point with 

newly refurbished 

rooms in bustling Sibu 

Set in the midst of a lush tropical rainforest, Borneo 

Tropical Rainforest Resort is the place for pleasure and 

adventure; the “In” venue for everyone. 

“Interesting” – Place for relaxation, simple pleasures and 

whole lot of Nature! 

“Inviting” – Always something new to learn and 

explore, always welcoming 

“Invigorating” – Refresh yourself and family by living next 

to Nature. 

“Incredible” – Facilities for family stay and corporate 

team building exercises that match 

expectations and more! 

It’s ‘inexcusable’ not to make your next outdoor adventure to 

Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort for both pleasure and 

bonding with nature that’s so close and personal! 

Located right in the heart of the bustling town, 

Tanahmas Hotel is about as close to the 

center as you can get here. Everything, from 

shopping to entertainment, business to pleasure, 

is just around the corner or mere walking 

distances away. Convenience is staying in this 

strategically sited hotel! 

Adorned with awards for its facilities and 

services, Tanahmas Hotel is the choice for 

corporate and family visits with 120 newly 

refurbished deluxe rooms to choose from 

and ample facilities, amenities to satisfy every 

needs! Check out the hotel at its website 

(www.tanahmas.com.my) or call for reservations. 

Lot 277, Block 5, Jalan Kampung Nyabor, P.O. Box 240 96007 Sibu, 

Sarawak, Malaysia. Fax: 6 084 333288 Tel: 6 084 333188 

Email: tanahmas@streamyx.com Website: www.tanahmas.com.my 

KM36 Miri-Bintulu Road, Lot 15, Block 2, 

Sibuti Land District, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 085 407198, 019 8852193 

Fax: (6) 019 8340113 

Email: info@borneorainforestresort.com 

Miri Office: Lot 101, Airport Road, 

98000 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 085 613888 Fax: (6) 085 613808 

www.BorneoRainforestResort.com

Food 

Freshness & goodness 

you can taste 

Atok Kopitiam offers traditional 

and local favourites in the heart of the city 

An unusual name for a coffeeshop, 

Atok Kopitiam is itself unique as it 

offers only home made dishes at 

reasonable prices. The spicy and hot 

traditional fares as well as the common 

offerings all come with the coffeeshop 

own special sauces, cooked in house 

and fresh each day! 

Opened daily from 7am to 6pm, 

Atok’s location at DUBS Commercial 

Office, Jalan Petanak, Kuching is 

a rendezvous for those into early 

breakfast of toast and eggs or nasi 

lemak while the lunch crowd are 

mostly from surrounding offices in 

the area. Late afternoon crowd are 

mostly those taking quick breaks 

and looking for light snacks like 

sausage rolls or toasts. Some come 

for take-away for dinner when too 

tired for cooking after a long day in 

the office and also to miss the traffic 

jam at 5pm. 

“Most of our dishes are not too spicy 

or hot as we know not everyone 

like their food that way. However, if 

customers want their orders more 

spicy or hot, we can always do so,” 

Khairel added. According to him, 

many customers were surprised that 

the coffeeshop serves all the local 

favourites of Kuching city folks like 

kolo mee, kway teow or bihun which 

are common features in mostly Chinese 

run outlets. As a halal eatery, it 

welcomes everyone to try out their 

tantalizing dishes and also comfortable 

setting right in the heart of the city. 

For those unfamiliar with the location, 

it is just a stone’s throw away from 

the city’s main mascot, the White 

Cat at the end of Padungan street, 

easy walking distance from the major 

hotels and center business district of 

Kuching. 

“Even the meatballs are freshly made 

and we pride ourselves on giving only 

our own style of sauces for all our 

dishes, from everyday nasi goreng 

(fried rice) to curry flavoured ones,” 

said Khairel Anwar, who shares the 

proprietorship with his brother Khairul 

Azizi. “I would say that it is quite 

difficult to find another shop like ours 

with the varieties and all prepared fresh 

using traditional recipes. Of course we 

have also added more modern styled 

ones to give younger crowd their 

favourite dishes so we actually achieved 

a balance between the two,” laughed 

the enterprising young man. 

L1-01 Ground Floor, DUBS Commercial Office, Jalan Petanak, 93400, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 013 8416621 

(Open daily from 7am to 6pm) 


Food 

Hainanese 

Chicken Rice and more! 

The Hainans are one of the many 

Chinese sub-groups in Malaysia and 

traditionally one of the main 

entrepreneurs of coffee shops in 

the early years of independence. An 

equally well known trait of the 

Hainans is their aromatic chicken 

rice, served with salted vegetable 

soup, slices of pickled cucumber, 

juicy steamed chicken and diced 

chilly/garlic sauce. Now, varieties of 

this traditional recipe are found in 

many chicken rice shops but Little 

Hainan in Kuching is one place 

where the age-old style is faithfully 

preserved. Located along Jalan Tun 

Ahmad Zaidi Adruce, this bold red 

and grey exterior façade is distinctive 

while its interior quintessence décor 

brings back nostalgic memories of 

Hainanese coffee shops of yesteryears. 

As for the food, it’s simply authentic 

Hainan chicken rice; the ‘chief cook’ 

has been preparing the dishes based 

on traditional recipes passed down 

from generations! A single order 

comes with serving of steamed 

aromatic rice, mouth-watering juicy 

steam chicken slices, pickles, sauce 

dip and soup. For varieties patrons 

can choose from the assortment of 

cuts available like barbeque pork, ‘lou’ 

pork and eggs (cooked with traditional 

combinations of spices) to go with the 

steam chicken rice. In addition, you 

can also order the curry chicken sauce 

which goes well with the assortment 

of meats or just plain curry chicken rice. 

It’s all down to whichever is your 

preference and the place is ideal for 

small group of friends to family 

gathering for lunch and dinner as it 

can comfortably accommodate 60 

patrons at any one sitting. 

Breakfast servings start from 8:30 daily 

(close on Monday) with laksa and 

kolo mee as the most sought after 

items as well as chicken and char siew 

dumplings while chicken rice will be 

available from 11:00am to 2:00pm 

and 5:30pm to 8:30pm. For tea time 

from 3pm to 5.30pm, customers will 

get to enjoy servings of freshly homemade 

local kueh delights and the 

ever-popular kaya toast. Assortments 

of popular drinks are available too, 

including steaming hot coffee and tea, 

iced drinks to cordial varieties. 

Impressive too is the restaurant’s 

cleanliness and upkeep; the tables 

are carefully cleaned and set ready 

for the next customers while the 

washrooms are well maintained. The 

waitresses and waiters are pleasing 

and polite, knowledgeable of their 

work and quick on their rounds, which 

makes eating out here a pleasurable 

experience. Little Hainan is reminiscent 

of a proud tradition of home-style 

cooking in a modern setting! 

Ground Floor, SL 6, Lot 3023, Jln Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce, 

93150 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 082 239899 Email: little.hainan@gmail.com 

( Open daily except Monday ) 


Food 

It’s always 

a surprise at 

Well-loved for its exciting array of 

local and international contemporary 

cuisines, its list of fine wines and 

other beverages (both alcoholic and 

non-alcoholic), and not to mention a 

décor that will whet anyone’s appetite 

even before one takes a peek at the 

menu, Zest has certainly made a name 

for itself since it opened last year. 

True to its tagline “A new dining 

experience”, Zest never fails to impress 

both regulars and diners who come 

here for the first time with cuisines of 

exceptional quality and taste as well 

as good service right from the moment 

they step into the restaurant. Chef 

and owner Chung Ngek Chun makes 

sure that these standards are met. 

“Here at Zest, we put great emphasis 

on our food. Our waiters are also 

well-trained, which is something 

that’s important in every restaurant,” 

he shares with Borneo Talk recently. 

Forever the passionate man when it 

comes to food, Chung is constantly 

experimenting with new ideas for his 

cuisines. In fact, as a result of these 

“experimentations”, he has created 

tantalising new dishes to be included 

in the eatery’s new dining menu, 

which will be introduced in April. 

If you don’t know by now, Zest is 

among very few eateries in Kuching 

that offer semi-fine cuisines at very 

affordable prices, without compromising 

on quality and taste, of course. The 

ingredients used are as fresh as they 

can get and attention to detail is evident 

in every single dish that comes to the 

table. These are among the key factors 

that have people coming back to this 

eating establishment for more. 

Old favourites will still be available in 

the new dinner menu, such as prawn 

bisque, and many others. New 

additions come in the form of the 

unique coffee crusted lamb racks 

served with a generous helping of 

creamy mashed potatoes and fresh 

greens, yellowtail snapper on a bed of 

potatoes and served with fresh greens, 

grilled-black cod, the enticing chicken 

crepe ‘Asian Recipe’ topped with 

prawn roe and a whole lot more. 

A must-try for meat lovers is the pan 

seared beef steak, which is served 

on a bed of mashed potatoes and 

topped with fresh salad. What’s unique 

about this steak is that it is served 

not with your typical mushroom or 

black pepper sauce, but with an 

accompaniment of teriyaki sauce, 

chilli sea salt and curry sea salt. 

If you’re into cheese and mussels, the 

baked mussels topped with cheese 

will surely hit the spot. A serving of 

fresh salad complements this dish. 

Choose from a selection of fresh juices, 

mocktails, refreshing milkshakes and 

smoothies to end your meal with. There 

is of course the must-try Obama Coffee, 

which is made with mocha coffee and 

Zest coffee. Otherwise, spoil yourself 

with the fabulous Chocolate 3 Way, a 

dessert creation featuring chocolate 

prepared in three different ways 

and is truly decadent. This is just one 

of so many fantastic desserts Zest is 

famous for. 

No MSG (monosodium glutamate) 

is added to any of the food served at 

the eatery, which is a definite plus, 

and the fact that it serves no pork 

means that everyone can come and 

savour the taste of Zest. 

Zest provides catering for birthday 

parties, annual dinners and bachelor 

parties as well. Whatever your wish 

is, Chung will make it happen for 

you. After all, at Zest, it’s all about 

customer satisfaction. 

We provide catering for birthday parties, annual dinners and bachelor parties • Opening hours: 11am - 11pm (Monday to Saturday, closed on Sunday) 

No. 43, Ground Floor, Block C, Wisma Nation Horizon, Jalan Pertanak, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 082 253848 Email: chunzest@gmail.com 

Add us in FACEBOOK: basket3214@gmail.com 


Food 

Great taste 

& varieties galore 

Hong Kong Pau Café provides convenience 

and wide choices of food for everyone 

Living in Kuching city means having the luxury of trying 

out different types of food whenever you want to; Hong 

Kong Pau Café at Stutong is certainly one of these places 

you must experience. Firstly, convenience as it opens 

daily from 6.30am to 11pm, starting with early morning 

dim sum dishes and “pau” (steamed dumplings), which 

are one of its trademark dishes. In fact, Hong Kong Pau 

Café’s sister branch at Padungan Street first started as a 

“pau” shop, progressing into a choice bakery shop for 

pastries and dim sum. Secondly, the new Stutong outlet 

comprises two shop lots, provides comfort for guests in a 

clean and pleasant ambience. 

From 10.30am onwards rice dishes are served, comprising 

succulent Hainanese chicken rice, marinated stew pork 

leg in claypot style, BBQ pork and fresh vegetables of the 

day cooked in Cantonese style. Curry lovers should also 

try out the curry chicken, which is cooked in traditional 

Chinese style with thick sauce and slight chilly hot. 

Manning the kitchen is a chef from Johor with years of 

experience in Chinese style dishes so you can be assured 

of consistency in taste daily. 

Tea time can be more interesting at Hong Kong Pau Café 

as the varieties of buns here surely satisfy everyone’s palate, 

from freshly baked ones to steamed “pau”. The ham bun 

is among the top selling item with its unique taste while 

the baked crispy pork “pau” is exquisite as the marinated 

meat literally flows out from the bun with the first bite! 

The Hainan steamed “pau” is also another special item 

from the shop that is value for money as it is filled with 

big chunks of tasty assorted meat, sausage and egg. 

In addition to the steam and cooked items, Hong Kong 

Pau Café is well stocked with baked items like egg tarts 

to cheese, butter, black bean and wheat bun and a 

host of others that appeal especially to children. This can 

easily be the place where the whole family can have their 

favourite food. 

Hong Kong Pau Café is a place for families, individuals 

and groups to enjoy their favourite dishes in a friendly 

environment and also for take-away. 

Opening Hours: 6.30am – 5.30pm (Padungan) • 6.30am – 11.00pm (Stutong) 

Hong Kong Pau CafE Sdn. Bhd. • No. 83 & 84, Ground Floor, Block II, Stutong, Jalan Setia Raja, 93350 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 082 368366 


Food 

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah 

Be charmed by the choices available, 

authentic taste and pleasant surroundings 

The name says it all for Little Italy – it serves Italian dishes 

based on traditional recipes and pizzas baked in authentic 

stone oven for that special taste. An award-winning 

restaurant from Sabah Tourism Board for its fantastic 

dishes, it is the pride of Kota Kinabalu city, Sabah as one 

of the main places for bringing guests and family for a 

sumptuous meal. Don’t worry about the Italian names of 

the choices in the menu as your waitress will guide you 

through for a truly satisfying gastronomical experience. 

There are eight appetizers to choose from and another 

five choices in the Spring Pasta that more than overwhelm 

patrons. Those in favour of home-made, classical recipes 

can opt for one of the fifteen styles of pasta they have 

here. When it comes to pizzas, the choices are again 

amazing; select your favourite sauce for the crispy crust 

and whatever else on top as the cheese comes in generous 

portions! 

Main courses here are a delight for food lovers as the 

tender slices of New Zealand beef fillet (Filetto ai funshi) 

in fresh mushroom sauce melts in the mouth. Grilled lamb 

chops and chicken dishes make the varieties available 

here even more difficult to decide on the choice which 

explains why many patrons are repeat customers back for 

more sampling of the courses found in the menu. Fresh 

ingredients and daily-prepared pastas and sauces are the 

secret behind the great taste as the family run business 

only wants the best for their customers. 

Nothing beats the great taste of daily fresh cooking which 

is a proud tradition of Little Italy and everyone compliments 

the size of the servings, which are simply large! 

Little Italy has a cozy setting with ample spaces between 

tables in the tradition of Italian restaurants. The place 

is a must visit for many foreigners to the city and locals 

frequent it for the authentic and fresh taste of its food. 

Its location on the ground floor of Capital Hotel provides 

convenience and natural attraction for customers as the 

area is the main entertainment centre of the city. Pleasant 

on the outside and conducive inside, Little Italy has been 

delighting patrons for years in scenic Kota Kinabalu where 

good food, great taste and varieties of choices make it a 

natural hot spot for everyone. 

Ground Floor, Hotel Capital, Jalan Haji Saman, 98813 Kota Kinabalu. • PO Box 146, 89407/Likas, Kota Kinabalu, 

Sabah, Malaysia. Tel/Fax: (6) 088 232231 Email: emiliano.kl@gmail.com (Open 10.30am – 11.00pm daily) 

www.littleitaly-kk.com 


Food 

All things organic 

is a restaurant 

specialising in organic food 

and more 

Cooking in Asian style and without 

using a single drop of oil It sounds 

impossible but is actually right here 

in Kuching city along Jalan Tabuan. 

Aha Organic is a restaurant serving 

only organic food which started out 

as an outlet serving healthy food. 

The idea to set up Aha Organic came 

about when Ling Mio Ting, decided 

to help her family and friends stay 

healthy through food. 

“Absolutely everything served here 

is organic, and we cook our food 

without using a single drop of oil. 

Even our seasonings are organic,” 

Ling explains. The beauty of using 

organic ingredients is that they have 

more flavour than non-organic ones. 

“People tend to have a misconception 

about healthy food, often thinking 

that they are dull and tasteless when 

it’s not necessarily that way,” she 

says of her offerings like Bee Hoon, 

Fried Mee, Mee Mamak and even 

spaghetti. “We also have our healthy 

organic curry, which is cooked with 

soy milk instead of coconut milk,” 

Ling adds. 

The cooking methods used ensure 

that the dishes are both tasty and 

healthy and these include grilling 

and stir-frying in a non-stick pan and 

bio-clay pots. Water is used to fry the 

aromatics, such as garlic, onion and 

ginger, as a substitute to cooking oil. 

Since the restaurant opened its door 

in August 2007, it has been receiving 

a steady stream of customers for lunch 

and dinner. “Some of them come and 

eat here while most of my customers 

pre-order their food and come to pick 

them up,” she says, adding that her 

restaurant also provides delivery and 

catering services. 

Besides serving food, Ling also sells 

organic food ingredients where some 

are from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore 

while the rest are from local suppliers. 

She also owns a farm where everything 

is naturally grown and she prefers 

using ingredients grown in her own 

farm in her restaurant. 

On the first floor of Aha Organic there 

is a small section where artists can 

come and explore their creative juices 

using recyclable items with the main 

objective to share this value through 

creative art classes. “We also sell things 

that are good for the environment 

as well as biodegradable items. Our 

bowls, spoons and chopsticks are 

all made from rice husk and we also 

use oxo-biodegradable plastic bags 

here,” she explains. 

For those who really want to lose 

those extra pounds and lead a 

healthy lifestyle, Ling offers her 

Adventures In Weightloss programme, 

which requires a blood test report, 

plus applicant form with detail medical 

information and photo of applicants 

that will be sent to Australia for 

evaluation by Dr. Ryan, a doctor 

with over 30 years experience in 

environmental medicine. If an applicant 

is eligible, he will receive a customised 

eating plan which will help him lose 

weight effectively,” she adds. 

Ling says that those who join the 

programme will be guided by our 

experienced consultants on how to 

prepare their own healthy meals. 

“Once you are on this programme, 

you’ll not require any other weight 

loss products as this is a very effective 

programme,” she concludes. 

Aha Organic • No.36, Section 47, Jalan Tabuan, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 082 420808 

www.ahaorganiccafe.blogspot.com | www.adventuresweightloss.blogspot.com 

For more information, call Ling Mio Ting at (6) 016 8893622 


Health 

Adventures 

in Weightloss 

Losing weight and staying at the 

optimal weight is the hope and aim 

of many people; most fail to maintain 

the ideal after the initial stage and 

simply gave up. Adventures in 

Weightloss comes packaged to 

individual’s special needs and as no 

two person are alike, each programme 

is just for you to achieve that goal 

of getting rid of the excess fat. 

Clients go through 3 phases in the 

programme; phase 1 continues till 

you have achieved the target weight 

and then moving into phase 2 which, 

prepares your body for lifelong 

health, weight maintenance. Finally 

phase 3 gives you tools and support 

for life after the programme. 

Any weight loss programme must 

address the 4 essential keys for a 

life-long success; effective personalise 

eating plan, nutritional supplements, 

mindset and psychology as well as 

increase physical activities. Adventures 

in weightloss specialists who have 

extensive experience will guide you on 

these four aspects. Eating healthily 

and the right amount of certain food 

is necessary as well as nutritional 

supplements to ensure that your body 

A natural, 

stress free 

programme to 

get rid of that 

excess weight 

will not be adversely affected by the 

weight loss experienced. A trained, 

experienced psychologist will work 

with each client in the area of mindset 

to guide and prepare the person for 

the programme to be successful while 

increase physical activities can ensure 

that you will continue to enjoy a 

healthy lifestyle. 

After completing an extensive medical 

questionnaire the person will require 

a blood sample report, which will act 

as the guidelines in the design of the 

programme for you and you alone; no 

one else should follow the same 

programme as every individual is 

different and it may be harmful to the 

person to follow your programme! 

Follow up blood testing every 6 weeks 

until the optimum weight is achieved 

ensures the client is continuously 

updated on the response to the 

programme and makes the necessary 

adjustments over time. Adventures in 

Weightloss is a very specialised and 

individual programme which requires 

professionals to service individual 

client like a boutique business where 

personalised attention to detail is 

everything. If you are committed to 

the idea of losing weight and staying 

off those excess kilos, Adventures in 

Weightloss has the programme to do 

so! For more details on the programme 

and Adventures in Weightloss, 

contact the representative below for 

consultation. 

No.36, Section 47, Jalan Tabuan, 

93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 082 420808, (6) 016 8893622 - Ling Mio Ting 

www.ahaorganiccafe.blogspot.com 

www.adventuresweightloss.blogspot.com 


Health 

KUCHING SPECIALIST HOSPITAL 

(A Member of KPJ Healthcare Berhad Group) 

Care for Life 

KPJ Kuching Specialist Hospital (KcSH) is the 12 th network of private specialist hospital in KPJ Healthcare Berhad 

Group. The 4-storey hospital compact in design and equipped with the state-of-art technology is located within 

the Setia Raja Commercial Centre, Tabuan Laru and is approximately 10km from Kuching City. 

KcSH is a one-stop hospital offering a wide range of outpatient and inpatient specialist services ranging from prevention, 

diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of diseases and medical conditions to anaesthetics procedures. 

All our rooms are designed and fitted with modern furnishings, to provide comfort of living and a restful environment 

for our clients. 

Our Main Clinical Disciplines 

• Anaesthesiology 

• Cardiology 

• Dermatology 

• Gastroenterology 

• General and Internal Medicine 

• General Surgery 

• Nephrology 

• Neurology 

• Obstetrics and Gynaecology 

• Occupational Medicine 

• Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Surgery 

• Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery 

• Otorhinolaryngology (Ear, Nose & Throat) 

• Paediatrics 

• Pathology 

• Pharmacology 

• Physiotherapy 

• Plastic Surgery 

• Psychiatry 

• Radiology 

• Urology 

State-Of-The-Art Facilities 

• 24 Hours Accident & Emergency 

• Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory (Cathlab) 

• Special Outpatient Clinic Services 

• Diagnostic Imaging (X-Ray,Fluroscopy, 

Mammogram, Ultrasound) 

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) 

• 64-slice MSCT Scan 

• Occupational Risk Assessment Services 

• Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Unit 

• Special Diagnostic Services 

• Laboratory 

• Pharmacy 

• Intensive Care Unit 

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 

• Operating Theater Services 

• Maternity Ward 

• Paediatric Ward 

• Surgical Ward 

• Home Nursing Services 

• Haemodialysis Unit 

Lot 10420, Block 11,Tabuan Stutong Commercial Centre, Jalan Setia Raja, 93350 Kuching, Sarawak 

Tel: (6)082-365777 Fax: (6)082-364666 Emergency No: (6) 082-365030 Email: kcsh@kcsh.kpjhealth.com.my 


www.kcsh.kpjhealth.com.my

Health 

Healthy living starts with you 

The changing lifestyle of Malaysians 

with rapid economic developments 

since independence has in fact led to 

some unhealthy trends like obesity, 

stress and bad habits like smoking 

and drinking. From an agrarian 

society, which was focused on food 

producing and consumption, it has 

now become an exporting economy 

of food-based products to computer 

chips, cars to natural resources like 

timber and oil. All these led to massive 

construction and booming of towns 

and cites with most of the people 

involved in white collar jobs and 

becoming sedentary while factory 

workers were mainly rural based 

people with little education and 

often misplaced in an urban settings, 

leading to alcoholism, gambling, and 

other vices. Generally, the lifestyle of 

people were deteriorating in terms 

of health and diseases like heart 

attacks, obesity and others which 

contributed to the higher rate of 

hospital patients and fatalities. 

The Ministry of Health Malaysia has 

long advocate healthy lifestyle for 

people but majority of people tends 

to ignore these guidelines until it 

was too late for many of them. The 

ministry to address the issues of 

healthy lifestyle has carried out many 

publications, adverts and public 

awareness campaigns but these were 

often falling on deaf ears. At least 

until recently when more educated 

younger population who had been 

exposed to these lifestyle guidelines 

began to take them seriously and also 

helped by the growing awareness 

worldwide on going green and 

leading a responsible life in relation 

to the earth and society. As a result, 

more Malaysians are now taking up 

healthy living more seriously and also 

encouraging others to do so, a trend 

that augurs well for the country. 

Healthy living is actually quite simple 

as it only requires a person to take 

up some form of physical activities 

on a regular basis while eating 

healthy food, managing stress 

smartly and not taking up bad habits 

like smoking or drinking. Physical 

activities need not take up a lot of 

time too as these can involve walking 

up stairs instead of taking the lift, 

stretching exercises while at work, 

walking regularly or even breathing 

deeply 5-10 times within two hours. 

It is even better if you were to take up 

lessons or classes in physical exercises 

with instructors to ensure that your 

body stays in top condition. 

Malaysians are a spoilt lot when it 

comes to food, as the variety available 

is enormous; choosing the right 

ones is the key to healthy eating 

habits. Varieties of food is good in 

moderation, especially based on the 

Malaysian Food pyramid while less 

consumption of fried and fatty ones 

is encouraged as well as less intake 

of sugar. It is essentially true that you 

are what you eat – the healthier your 

food intake, the healthier you will be 

and vice-versa. At the same time, the 

smoking and drinking habits should 

also be cut off. 

Working can lead to stress in some 

environment, especially if there is no 

social support in the workplace. The 

best ways to reduce stress while at 

work are to practice rational and 

positive thinking, communicate 

effectively while managing criticism 

sensibly. Anger should be acknowledged 

and managed with the correct 

relaxation techniques while one 

should always practice effective time 

management. After all there is only 

24hours in a day and no matter how 

efficient the person is there is simply 

not enough time to do everything 

so prioritising work is important for 

workaholics. In almost all workplaces 

stress is always present and overcoming 

it is the key to a successful work 

environment. 

For further enquiries, please call Sarawak Health Department at Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, 

93590 Kuching, Sarawak. Tel: (6) 082 256566 Fax: (6) 082 424959 

Email: sarawakhealth@moh.gov.my or you may also visit website at jknsarawak.moh.gov.my 


Health 

Doctors 

The health care services 

provided in Malaysia are 

amongst the best in 

developing countries and 

with constant upgrading of 

personnel, equipment and 

delivery system; the Ministry 

of Health envisions a nation of healthy communities 

enjoying high quality of life in every corner of the country. 

Towards achieving this vision, the ministry encourages the 

public to work together with the various health facilities like 

hospitals, poly and community clinics, outpatient, maternal, 

child health and dental clinics as well as the various health 

centers throughout the nation. Sarawak, Malaysia’s largest 

state, presents a unique set of requirements due to the size 

of the area, diverse population centres with low density per 

area, and physical features making some areas inaccessible 

by conventional means except the flying doctor services. 

Despite these physical, technical and administrative 

difficulties, nevertheless, close to 90% of the people in the 

state are served by these health personnel, the majority of 

them in urban and rural health centres. 

In the promotion of healthy living lifestyles for people in 

Sarawak, the state health department focuses on preventive 

measures, early treatment/referral and rehabilitation through 

its network of 290 centres and facilities state-wide. The 12 

hospitals in the state are of three-tiers, the smallest district 

hospitals are manned by medical officers, next those with 

specialists and the largest with subspecialists facilities, the 

Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching. Family Medicine 

specialists providing general outpatient care, maternal and 


Health 

at your service 

The Sarawak Medical Health Department provides 

services with dedication despite limited resources of 

personnel and facilities 

childcare, dental care as well as laboratory and radiological 

services man most of the large polyclinics. There are 12 such 

polyclinics in the state with another 194 rural health clinics 

that function as “one-stop” family health centres, providing 

an integrated service comprising maternal & child-care, 

general outpatient care and environmental sanitation. All 

clinics have rest beds and birthing facilities to facilitate safe 

delivery among rural mothers. The most recent addition to 

the department’s list of clinics are the 1Malaysia Clinics, set 

up in urban large population areas to give better access 

to medical facilities for minor ailments including wound 

dressings. Paramedics man these clinics and doctors will 

make regular rounds. They are opened daily from 10am to 

10pm. The locations in shop lots make them easily accessible 

and where necessary, referrals will be made for those needing 

more specialised treatments. 

tuberculosis or malaria from blood samples. Started in 1981, 

the programme currently has 2,956 volunteers serving about 

271,182 people in 1,664 villages in the state. 

To facilitate the provision of health services to the people, 

the department has also established the ‘Home-Based’ 

health records for the people. These records comprise the 

child-health card, antenatal card and outpatient card, which 

provide medical history of each patient for easy reference like 

immunisation given to children and continuity of treatment 

where necessary. Though the doctor: patient ratio in Sarawak 

is still low, the department continues to strive to bring the 

best possible medical care for the people and recruits more 

personnel to the cause. 

In addition to these established health centres, the 

department also has mobile clinics made up of Village 

Health teams and the Flying Doctor service. On foot, by 

boat or helicopters, these dedicated teams visit rural and 

out-of-reach communities, which total about 70,000 people 

in 175 locations. The Village Health Promoter programme 

is unique in Sarawak as two volunteers from each remote 

village are given training to enable them to provide first-aid, 

do health promotion and detect signs of diseases like 

For further enquiries, please call Sarawak Health Department at Jalan 

Tun Abang Haji Openg, 93590 Kuching, Sarawak. Tel: (6) 082 256566 Fax: 

(6) 082 424959 Email: sarawakhealth@moh.gov.my or you may also visit 

website at jknsarawak.moh.gov.my 


Health 


Health 

Looking for the 

bundle 

ofjoy 

The London Fertility Centre 

can assist couples in having a 

successful pregnancy 

Holding a baby in one’s arms is a joy most people take for granted; among 

childless couples, it is a sad reminder of their frustrations in being unable to 

conceive and have that bundle of joy. In Sarawak, there is hope for these 

couples at the London Fertility Centre, which aims to help them achieve their 

wish of having a baby of their own. 

The centre, established since 1999 by Dr Chieng Hock Tiew, offers a full 

range of fertility services of International Standard but at local price. This is 

one of the main reasons why it has consistently been a preferred centre for 

many couples, many of them childless but also others who have been unable to 

have more children despite earlier successes. Regardless, the centre attempts 

to fulfill their dreams and wishes of having babies of their own by providing the 

skills and facilities at their doorstep in the city! 

Dr Chieng was trained and worked in London, England for over 20 years, five 

of those years in fertility training before coming back to set up the practice 

here. In addition, he had also done research and trained in laboratory work for 

four years, the bulk of which is aimed at choosing the ‘best’ egg to match the 

‘best’ sperm, ‘grow’ them well before returning the fertilised egg to the 

womb. It is generally true to say that most doctors are not trained to work 

in laboratory and so these additional hands-on experience further enhanced 

his skills in this specialty.  Unknown to most patients who have visited him 

at the centre, Dr Chieng actually is one of the pioneers who helped with the 

‘single sperm injection’ technique (ICSI). This method guarantees 100% that 

the sperm enters the egg while at the same time enables him to choose the 

best sperm for the next generation. All these practical skills are what make the 

centre one of the most preferred ones in the fertility specialty profession. To 

a large extent, success in inducing pregnancy comes from heredity and element 

of luck too as no one can guarantee success if it was not meant to be. But by 

trying out the methods used at the centre, couples can significantly improve 

their odds and have better chance of achieving success. 

For further information, please contact KUCHING - 1 st Floor, Lot 2753, Central Park, Kuching, 

Sarawak. Tel: (6) 082 232222 • SIBU - 1 st Floor, Lot 7, Pusat Tanahwang, Jalan Pedada, 

Sibu, Sarawak. Tel: (6) 084 366666 • MIRI - 1 st Floor, Lot 512, Pelita Commercial Centre, 

Miri, Sarawak. Tel: (6) 085 422299 • H/P - (6) 019 8177111 


Health 

“I uit!” 

Getting rid of the smoking habit can be 

rewarding in many ways 

In recent surveys conducted in Asian 

countries, including Malaysia, it was 

stated that more women were taking 

up smoking than ever before, which 

was a worrying trend. Almost every 

country in the region has increased 

taxes and imposed strict measures 

on packaging and other means to 

curb the smoking habit of people but 

these have little impact to date. As 

part of the effort to reduce smoking, 

especially among younger adults, 

the Ministry of Health Malaysia has 

also encouraged numerous activities 

including going to schools for talks 

and banning smoking in government 

buildings, air-conditioned public places, 

public transport systems to taking 

out adverts in mass and print medias. 

Surprisingly, about 80% of smokers 

who managed to quit did so on 

their own without much help from 

authorities or others which points to 

the fact that the human will power 

can be that much stronger than any 

nicotine crave that smokers have. 

The benefits of quitting the smoking 

habit are obvious – better quality of 

life without poisoning yourself and 

those around you, healthier looking 

skins, fresher breaths, whiter teeth, 

savings and environmentally friendly 

as there will be more fresh air and less 

accidental fires caused by careless 

smokers and their cigarettes butts 

or matches. In fact, it has also been 

medically documented that quitting 

smoking can add to fertility among 

men with reduction of occurrence of 

impotence or dysfunction. 

Interesting too for many heavy smokers 

who managed to quit is that they 

immediately noticed their heartbeat 

and blood pressure dropped to 

normal rate and their sense of taste 

improved while the fertility rate of 

both men and women increased. 

Initial reactions from quitting include 

coughing, dizzy spells, headaches 

to numbness of muscles which are 

actually positive signs as they mean 

that the lungs are working well 

again, more oxygen is reaching all 

parts of the body, including the head 

and some exercise will lessen muscle 

aches caused by the improved blood 

circulation to the affected areas. 

Once you have managed to quit, 

always make it a point to never 

again take another puff, watch body 

weight and think positive and stay 

focus on the reasons for your quitting. 

Everyone can say, “I can do it!” as far 

as quitting smoking is concern as there 

is actually not even one reason why 

smoking is good for anyone. 

Malaysia’s 12D practices 

to quit smoking 

1. Delay smoking 

2. Drink lots of water 

3. Deep breathes 

4. Do something 

5. Distant yourself from smokers 

6. Do chew something 

7. Do wash your hands 

8. Do bathe frequently 

9. Do stretching exercises 

10. Do meditation 

11. Distract yourself from 

situations, which encourage 

smoking 

12. Do pray 

For further enquiries, please call Sarawak Health Department at Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, 

93590 Kuching, Sarawak. Tel: (6) 082 256566 Fax: (6) 082 424959 

Email: sarawakhealth@moh.gov.my or you may also visit website at jknsarawak.moh.gov.my 


Health 

Timberland Medical Centre 

An acute-care specialist centre 

Timberland Medical Centre (TMC) is a private medical centre 

wholly owned by Mestika Unik Sdn Bhd. It is located at 3 rd 

Mile, Jalan Rock, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

TMC started its operation in April 1994. Today there are 

over 40 resident and visiting consultants dedicated towards 

delivering quality patient care services. We continually 

strive to improve and acquire the latest technology and 

equipment to provide the most up-to-date medical care 

for our clients. 

Operating in the most critical parts of the human body 

namely the brain, the spine and the nerves, is much safer 

in this day and age thanks to the availability of modern 

facilities such as operating microscope, ultrasonic aspiration 

device, and nerve monitoring facility. 

Various neurological tests can be done here through imaging 

study like an X-ray, computerised tomography (CT scan), 

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalogram 

(EEG) and electromyogram (EMG). A sleep laboratory is 

available in TMC to perform sleep studies, measuring the 

brain wave activity, heart rate, electrical activity of the heart, 

breathing, oxygen in the blood, body position and leg 

movements during sleep study. 

With advanced technologies such as 64 slice MSCT scanning 

machine, patients with claustrophobia can now undergo 

comprehensive screening without fear of enclosed spaces. 

In November 2007, TMC commissioned a new digital 

angiogram machine, officially declared open by YB Dato’ 

Yong Khoon Seng. It is capable of demonstrating both cardiac 

and vascular applications, e.g. brain, heart, chest, intestines 

and legs. With the arrival of this machine, TMC is able to 

provide a wider range of diagnostic examinations to patients. 

Not forgetting its corporate social responsibility, TMC 

together with University Malaysia Sarawak, successfully 

straightened the legs of Winnie Wong, a child born 

with severe leg deformities, on November 6, 2009. The 

operation cost was borne by TMC in consideration that 

Winnie’s parents who earn a meager income, could not 

afford the cost. On other note, TMC had sponsored 200 

mammogram services last year, other than free health 

screening and public health forums. 

Specialist Outpatient Clinic 

• Brain & Nerve Specialist Clinic 

• Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist Clinic 

• Eye Specialist Clinic 

• Clinic For Women 

• General Surgical Specialist Clinic 

• General & Colorectal Surgical Specialist Clinic 

• Gut & Liver Specialist Clinic 

• Orthopaedic Specialist Clinic 

• Medical & Cardiac Specialist Clinic 

• Medical Specialist Clinic 

• Medical & Kidney Specialist Clinic 

• Plastic Surgical Specialist Clinic 

• Psychiatric Specialist Centre 

• Skin Specialist Clinic 

• Specialist Clinic For Children 

• Urology Clinic 

• Neuro Surgical Clinic 

Clinical Specialties 

• Anaesthesiology 

• Cardiology 

• Colorectal Surgery 

• Dermatology 

• Ear, Nose & Throat Surgery 

• Eye Surgery 

• Gastroenterology 

• General Surgery 

• Haematology 

• Internal Medicine 

• Micro Surgery 

• Neurology 

• Neuro Surgery 

• Nephrology 

• Obstetrics & Gynaecology 

• Orthopaedic & Traumatology 

• Paediatrics 

• Plastic Surgery & Burns 

• Psychiatry 

• Radiology 

• Urology 

FACILITIES & SERVICES 

• 24 hours Accident & Emergency Service (A&E) 

• 24 hours Ambulance service 

• 24 hours Laboratory service 

• Blood Bank services 

• Operating theatres 

• Delivery suites 

• Neonatal intensive care unit 

• Coronary care unit 

• Intensive care unit 

• Health Screening Service 

• Pharmacy 

• Radiology (X-Ray) services 

- Plain x-Ray 

- Ultrasound 

- Mammography 

- Fluoroscopy 

- Open super conducting magnetic 

resonance imaging (MRI) 

- 64 Slice MSCT Scanner 

- Interventional radiology services 

• Invasive Angiography services 

• Cardiac Investigation Services 

• Endoscopy 

- Gastroscopy 

- Duodenoscopy 

- Colonoscopy 

- Bronchoscopy 

- Ear Nose and Throat endoscopy 

- Nephroscopy 

- Ureteroscopy 

- Arthroscopy 

• Neuro Diagnostic Services 

- Electroencephalography (EEG) 

- Sleep Studies 

- Nerve Conduction Studies 

• Laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery 

- Removal of gall bladder 

- Removal of prostate 

- Removal of ovarian cysts 

- Stone blasting 

- Joints surgery 

• Haemodialysis services 

• Physiotherapy services 

- Mobilisation 

- Therapeutic treatments 

- Exercise regimes 

- Traction 

- Electro therapeutic 

- Treatments (Ultrasound, interferential 

short wave) 

For further enquiries, please call TMC at 082-234466 ext 718 (Ms. Chai), or email tmcmktez@gmail.com. 

You may also visit TMC website at http://timberlandmedical.com/web_timberland/ 

TIMBERLAND MEDICAL CENTRE 

Lot 5164- 5165, Block 16, LCKD, 2½ Mile Jalan Rock, Taman Timberland, 93250 Kuching, Sarawak. 


Health 

Taking aim 

at youths 

’s programmes arm youths with the right spirit to become 

leaders and ambassadors among their peers 

Malaysia as an emerging developing nation is experiencing 

rapid growth and with that comes some social problems 

and issues which have to be addressed. One of these is 

that of youths, especially those between 13-25 years old, 

who may be disoriented by the change in environment from 

small kampung to big cities, rural schools to urban ones 

and lack of friends in work environments. In taking note 

of this issue, the Ministry of Health has been introducing 

programmes to guide youths and others on overcoming 

these social ills and giving them avenues to seek help and 

not be drawn into the world of depression, drugs and 

other vices. Prostar is a Youth Health Programme which 

basically is ‘from youth, through youth and for youth’ 

which aims to bring awareness of healthy lifestyles, 

practices, attitudes, spirit of volunteerism and support for 

fellow troubled youths. 

In practice, the initial groups are given extensive information 

on healthy lifestyles and communication skills with 

knowledge to plan programmes to become effective 

ambassadors for a brighter future among youths who 

have stumbled along the way. By working as individuals 

and groups, their efforts will have that multiplier effect 

which can reach out further and affect more respondents 

through economic activities, training, arts and culture, 

recreational, communications and social work. Jobs and 

expectations that come with them can make youths feel 

responsible and change their way of thinking as well 

as providing them with a steady income for a brighter 

future. As training is provided to unskilled youths, they 

have the opportunity to become skilled labour or even 

self employed like artists, business entrepreneurs or 

trainers eventually; all the activities and programmes of 

Prostar are in collaboration with existing relevant agencies 

and non-governmental organisations which provide a 

wide network of opportunities for youths to excel in 

various fields and to lead a healthy lifestyle. The most 

common habits of wayward youths are smoking, drugs and 

drinking which can be overcome with the right counseling, 

motivation and change of lifestyle. Other serious problems 

include prostitution and anti social behaviours, which 

include diseases like Aids and other transmittable ones as 

well as unwanted pregnancies and abandoned babies not 

to mention criminal activities too. Prostar is the programme 

that will transform youths into mature, responsible and 

knowledgeable citizens who will contribute to the growth 

of the nation and inculcate healthy lifestyle among the 

masses. The Ministry of Health and its partners in the 

programme welcome all those who wish to contribute 

and be part of the programme as with wider participation 

from all sectors and levels of society, the nation will be 

able to progress faster and further with the same spirit 

and aspirations. 

jknsarawak.moh.gov.my • www.prostar.gov.my 


Health 

Aromatherapy Javanese Back Facial Asmara Tjintha Massage Javanese Totok Facial 

Revitalisation: 

Tjantek-style 

“A true authentic Javanese style spa is 

here in Kuching! Once a closely guarded 

secret kept under wraps is now an 

open secret to help rejuvenate the 

mind, body and spirit” 

Though once a closely guarded secret kept under wraps 

behind the Javanese palace walls, these beauty rituals can 

now be fully indulged at Tjantek (pronounced ‘cantik’ 

and means ‘beautiful’ in old Indonesian spelling) Spa, 

an idyllic retreat offering the perfect antidote to help 

rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. 

“All facial and massage treatments have been created 

luxuriously so that each person can thoroughly experience 

and enjoy the authentic Javanese ritual of relaxation 

and pampering,” said spa founder Surainee Abdul 

Latif, who first established Tjantek Spa in Miri before 

setting up the second branch here in February this year. 

Under the caring hands of three highly experienced 

therapists from Java, clients are assured of a rewarding 

ritual through the spa’s variety of holistic services using 

traditional Javanese massage techniques that incorporates 

thumb and palm pressure in an intense, medium to 

strong, deep-tissue massage. For complete body bliss, 

Surainee recommended the invigorating Javanese full 

body massage to stimulate blood circulation and improve 

energy flow, and body lulur, one of the signature 

treatments available here. 

“The body lulur is a whole body exfoliation treatment 

where lulur paste is applied to exfoliate the skin and 

slough away dead skin cells,” said Surainee. “After 

the body has been exfoliated, home-made yoghurt is 

applied to the body to maintain the pH balance of the 

skin. As a result, one’s skin will definitely feel smooth 

and soft after the treatment.” According to Surainee, 

the lulur are made fresh using only natural ingredients 

and clients will be able to select from eight types such 

as Bali coffee, lavender and vanilla, floral sea salt, cocoa 

butter, mangir herbal, mocha spice, coconut honey and 

orange coconut, each of which are highly beneficial in 

their own way. 

Other treatments available include the aromatherapy 

Javanese back facial, the first of its kind at the spa that 

comprises of a back wash, back scrub, full masking and a 

soothing back massage as well as Javanese totok facial, 

a full facial massage that concentrates on the acupressure 

point of the face and is well-known to improve blood 

circulation and promote healthy facial glow. 

At Tjantek Spa, freshly brewed jamu are also available 

where in Indonesia, the concoction herbal drink is 

known for its health attributes. “Usually taken by women, 

we have six types of jamu such as jamu sehat wanita, 

tolak angin, awet ayu, kuku bima, empot2, and rapet, 

each of which promotes attributes such as improving 

blood circulation, skin complexion and so on,” 

explained Surainee. 

In line with the spa’s value-for-money proposition, 

Tjantek Spa has a variety of spa packages tailored to 

their clients with price starting from only RM125 such 

as the Royal Essential Touch package for instance, that 

lets client choose from either a choice of Javanese 

body massage, Javanese facial, Javanese cream bath or 

Bolus herbal pack and also includes the body lulur. 

Javanese Post Maternity package is available for new-mums, 

who are looking for some quality ‘me’ time will therefore 

be able to indulge in treatments specifically tailored, 

as per Javanese traditional confinement practise such as 

“Javanese Bengkung Wrap”. For Brides-to-be, indulge in a 

line of royal bridal treatments to prepare one for his/her big 

wedding day such as “Lulur” and “Intimacy Care”. 

In the care of Tjantek Spa, one thing’s for sure, the 

spa experience rejuvenates the body and spirit through 

a relaxing yet rewarding session set in a wonderful 

tropical spa. 

TJANTEK SPA 

• 1 st Floor, Lot 421, Section 5 KTLD, Jalan Kulas, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 014 7090079 Email: surainee.abdul.latif@tjantekspamiri.com Website: www.tjantekspamiri.com 

• No 9, 1 st Floor, Piasau Garden Shophouse, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 013 8425533 

Javanese Fresh Jamu 

Javanese Intimacy Care 


Health 

A natural 


Health 

spell 

Rangillia Spa’s traditional massages and 

body scrubs using only natural ingredients will 

get you coming for more! 

Every woman knows that aches and 

pains can occur in their bodies from 

work, stress and age; overcoming these 

through traditional body massages 

is one of the most relaxing, soothing 

and rewarding experience! 

“Massaging with traditional oils made 

from herbs and spices flushes out 

the toxins from the body, rejuvenates 

it and makes one feels refresh and 

light,” says Zaliha Ismail, a masseur 

with almost 30 years of experience. 

Operating her own Rangillia Spa in 

Kuching, Sarawak, under the help 

and sponsorship from Entrepreneur 

Development Unit (UPUB) she had 

taken traditional massage to a new 

level as her products are all natural, 

organic and more importantly, certified 

by Sirim, the Malaysian certification 

authority. Processing most of the 

products by herself, she assures the 

effectiveness of each, like the facial 

cleanser, herbal and foot baths, face 

mask and salt soap in providing the 

expected results to her clients. 

“Most of my clients are from word of 

mouth, especially those from Brunei, 

West Malaysia and locally who have 

seen the wonderful changes in their 

friends’ complexion and beautiful 

hair after undergoing sauna, body 

scrub and the traditional massage 

which I do personally,” she points 

out, adding that she had learned 

the art from her elders. Each session 

can last anything from two to four 

hours depending on the condition of 

the individual’s body, which explains 

why she stretched her appointments 

forward, giving herself adequate 

time for each and to recuperate in 

between as well! 

“I have to always take care of my 

own body to do all these and as I 

travel a lot in meeting clients and 

producers, it helps to have a healthy 

body. That’s why I also take jamu, 

our herbal tonic drinks which are 

all natural and can be taken by the 

whole family for a healthy lifestyle,” 

Zaliha remarks. The ingredients 

for the jamu had been part of her 

family tradition for generations and 

combined with what she had learned 

from courses, they have become a 

potent nourishing source for the body. 

Puan Zaliha Ismail 

“Not everyone is aware of the natural 

potential of the body to heal, recuperate 

and remain healthy through body scrub 

and massages but once discovered, 

they will always plan for more,” she 

assures with her wide smile. 

Zaliha also participated in the “Satu 

Daerah Satu Industri” (One district 

one industry) programme under the 

Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development 

Unit (UPUB) in Malacca December 

last year. 

To contact Rangillia Spa located at Lot 459, Kampung Temenggong, 12.5 mile Jalan Matang, 

Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Please call (6) 019 8668232 or fax at (6) 082 448232 

Insertion by courtesy of BUMIPUTERA ENTREPRENEUR DEVELOPMENT UNIT (UPUB) 

12 th Floor, Wisma Bapa Malaysia, 93502 Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia. Tel: (6) 082 492453 Fax: (6) 082 449079 


Education 

Shaping minds 

of young medical doctors 

Tan Sri Datu Dr 

Haji Mohamad 

Taha Arif shares 

his vast experience 

in public health 

with upcoming 

grads in Sarawak 

in UNIMAS 

Very few doctors in Sarawak are 

familiar with remote settlements 

outside of main towns and cities 

due mainly to inaccessibility and 

size of the state; fortunately this 

is not the case of the Dean of 

the Faculty of Medical and Health 

Sciences, University Malaysia 

Sarawak. Having started his career 

serving the rural communities in 

Sarawak under the flying doctor 

services, he had visited numerous 

out of reach areas in trying 

circumstances, a unique experience 

which he shared with students 

and colleagues. Moreover, his 

specialty is public health, a passion 

that grew from interest in disease 

control which led him to become 

Director of Institute of Medical 

Research, Director of Disease 

Control of Health Ministry and 

until his retirement in 2005, as 

Director-General of Health apart 

from stints as state medical director 

in various states in Malaysia. 

Throughout his career he was actively 

involved in bringing up young doctors 

in his capacity as member of Board of 

Directors of National University 

Malaysia, Board of Studies for 

Faculty of Medicine at University 

Darul Iman Terengganu and National 

Defence University Malaysia. He also 

coauthored in 25 publications, 12 

documents and books for Ministry 

of Health and other presentations 

nationally and overseas while actively 

involved in research activities on 

communicable diseases and control. 

In return he has earned recognitions 

from states, nation, Fellowships as well 

as honours, degrees over the years. 

Having come full circle in his medical 

career as Dean of Health faculty, he 

now oversees the building of new 

facilities in the university and coming 

back to the place where he still calls 

home after 33 years of dedicated 

service and commitment in public 

health. 


Education 

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences 

Rumah Setia 

The Faculty of Medicine and Health 

Sciences (FMHS) started in 1994 and 

the foundation dean was Professor 

Dr Syed Hassan Al-Mashoor. The first 

faculty office was located at Rumah 

Setia, Taman Budaya Kuching and 

two main programmes offered then 

were medicine and nursing. In 1995, 

the faculty received 28 students who 

enrolled for medicine programme 

and this first batch of medicine 

students graduated in 2000. In 2002, 

the faculty relocated to its third 

faculty building which is well known 

as Lot 77; after moving out from a 

shop lot at Bormill Commercial Centre. 

Currently UNIMAS’, medicine and 

nursing programmes are in great 

demand. 

The mission and educational philosophy 

of the faculty emphasised on the total 

development of highly competent 

doctors and nurses who will be 

imbued with high moral and ethical 

values as well as aesthetic sensibility, 

and to become an integral part of 

the community and sensitive to its 

needs. This mission and educational 

philosophy will only be achieved 

through an innovative, broad-based, 

student-centred, and problem-based 

educational programme that is 

community and practice oriented 

which will balance the science and 

the art of medicine. 

The faculty comprises fourteen 

departments, one Malaria Research 

Centre and a Medical Education 

Unit. With the strength of over 100 

academic staff in various fields and 

specialities, it supported the faculty’s 

teaching-learning activity and 

contributed to research activity. 

Though undergraduate programme 

is becoming the core-business in the 

faculty, FMHS also offers postgraduate 

programme by research in various 

fields of medicine and nursing. In 

2004 the faculty started offering its 

first masters programme; Master of 

Public Health (Health Promotion) with 

five registered students. By 2011, the 

family medicine department will start 

offering master programme in family 

medicine. 

Faculty members are also actively 

involved in various fields of research 

ranging from basic medical sciences 

to clinical sciences. A few academic 

staff are active in inventing various 

instruments related to clinical field 

and some of these are awaiting 

patenting approval. 

In future, the faculty will be having its 

own faculty complex which is located 

in the main campus at Kota Samarahan 

and also a teaching hospital. The 

faculty will always take proactive 

action to improve the teaching-learning, 

hostel and others facilities. 

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (unimas) • Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences | Lot 77, Seksyen 22 Kuching Town Land District, 

Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce, 93150 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 082 416550, 292111 Fax: (6) 082 427716 Website: www.unimas.my 


Education 

Study in Singapore and Shape Your 

Future to be a Global Pastry Chef 

The Baking Industry Training Centre (BITC) was formed as a partnership 

between Prima Limited and SPRING Singapore (formerly known as the 

Singapore Productivity & Standards Board) in 1993. The training centre 

was established to elevate Singapore’s baking industry into a modern 

regional baking hub. Since its’ inception, BITC has continually strived 

to provide and promote the highest standards of training within the 

baking industry and has established itself as the leading baking academy 

in Southeast Asia. 

Professional Courses 

BITC provides professional training courses and consultancy services for 

both professionals and personal creative development, leveraging on 

BITC’s reputation as the hub for training excellence for the baking 

industry in the region. All courses are offered in English, where Mandarin is 

used upon request. All courses are delivered in full-time and part-time 

basis for local students and international students mainly from Malaysia, 

Indonesia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Myanmar, India and China. 

Facilities 

The centre also boast of three practical labs, a reference library and 

lecture rooms with modern training peripherals and IT facilities, as well 

as storage facilities that cover an area of more than 750 square metres. 

Recognition 

BITC courses are internationally recognised in the region. Over the 

years, we have collaborated with various tertiary institutes to provide 

professional skills-based courses such as the NITEC in Baking & 

Advanced from Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE), 

Diploma in Patisserie (7065) from the City and Guilds, Workforce Skills 

Qualifications (WSQ) Higher Certificate in Bakery Specialization from 

Singapore’s Workforce Development Agency (WDA). 

COURSES OFFERED 

DIPLOMA 

• Diploma in Baking & Pastry Arts 

• Diploma in Patisserie (7065) 

City & Guilds 

CERTIFICATES 

• NITEC In Baking / Advanced 

• (6 modules) 

• Certificate of Proficiency in Baking 

• Certificate of Asian Pastry Making 

• Certificate of Cake Decoration & 

Wedding Cake Decoration 

• Certificate of Noodles Making 

• Baking Principles 

(6 modules) 

• WSQ Higher Certificate in F&B 

Prepare Basic Bread 


Prepare Basic Cake 


Prepare Short-Crust Pastry 

For courses details, please contact BITC Admin Office at 

Address: 201, Keppel Road, Level 11 Annexe Block, Singapore 099419. Website: www.bitc.com.sg 

Tel: +65 62766337 Fax: +65 62766608 Email: bakingskills@bitc.com.sg 


Books 

Gals Read at MPH The Curve 

A Bookstore with Women in Mind 

women. The card entitles the holder 

to point accumulation, discounts 

and exclusive invitation from MPH 

Bookstores for all women-related 

subjects. This card can also be use at 

other outlets of MPH nationwide 

MPH The Curve projects to become 

the country’s first ever women concept 

bookstore. Everything in-store is 

set to be women focused, from the 

products to the food and right down 

to the ambience. 

Various categories can still be found 

here but with emphasis to women’s 

interest such as business and 

management books for women, 

autobiography on prominent female 

leaders, chick-lits, cookbooks and 

more. Some of these books will be 

featured under Gotta Have It!, a 

section dedicated to card members 

with discounts from 20% up to 

50%. The card aptly named Gals 

R.E.A.D.S., which stands for respected, 

empowered, admired, desired and 

smart, the values on this card signifies 

and reflect the achievements of today’s 

Stationery vendor, MOOF, will also be 

bringing in something a little special 

– wedding stationery, made available 

only at this particular outlet. Blue Inc, 

one of the largest female magazine 

publishers around will come in as a 

media partner and there will surely 

be plenty of exciting events, talks, 

book club, and even workshops to 

look forward to. 

When hungry simply head over to 

Espressoup. This first of its kind food 

operator specialises in soups serve in 

bread but also have salad, sandwiches 

and pasta in their menu. 

For enquiries, please contact MPH Bookstores Sdn Bhd at (6) 03 77811800 or email to marketing@mph.com.my 

The Leader 

Who Had 

No Title 

Author: Robin Sharma 

ISBN: 9781439190968 

Publisher: Freepress 

RM59.90 

This book is powerful, engaging and 

packed with real-world lessons that 

will help any business person realise 

extraordinary results and reach their 

potential. Sharma distills over 15 years 

of working with high performing 

business people, as well as authentically 

successful human beings. The Leader 

Who Had No Title is meant to engage 

people, inspire them, and deliver realworld 

tools that will help them live 

better both at work and at home. 

We will offer these selected titles featured in this issue at 

20%* discount to BorneoTalk readers. Readers to cut-out 

coupon from the magazine or download and print from www. 

enjoy365.com and present it at MidValley, Subang 

Parade, Megastore (1 Utama), Great Eastern Mall (Jalan 

Ampang), KLIA Airport, The Spring to enjoy the special offer. 

• Only original coupon or downloaded coupon from 

www.enjoy365.com is accepted 

• This offer is valid at MPH Bookstores indicated above 

• Not valid with any other offers or promotions 

• This coupon is not exchangeable for cash 

• Valid until 30 th June 2010 

TIGER 

The Real Story 

Author: Steve Helling 

ISBN: 9780306819292 

Publisher: Da Capo Press 

RM99.90 

Before the scandal, the world knew very little 

about Tiger Woods. After the scandal, they 

knew him even less. ‘Hello, World,’ he said. 

‘Are you ready for me’ The world was ready. 

For the next thirteen years, Tiger nearly lived 

up to his parents’ outsize expectations. He 

conquered the world of golf with skills the 

sport had never before seen. He became a 

global icon and a Madison Avenue darling, 

earning more for his squeaky clean persona 

than he earned for his sport. He settled down 

with a beautiful Swedish model and started 

a family. His net worth approached a billion 

dollars. Everything was going according to 

plan - until the scandal hit. As the media 

breathlessly mixed news with speculation, 

Tiger became the poster boy for selfdestruction. 

Corporate America exercised its 

fickle option and Tiger Woods was suddenly 

transformed from a commercial spokesman 

into a tabloid King. But for all the media 

reports on this or that revelation, Tiger’s true 

character remains a mystery. 


MPH BOOKSTORES THE SPRING • Lot 114, 1 st Floor, The Spring Shopping Mall, Jalan Simpang Tiga, 93350 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 082 244 800 Fax: (6) 082 244 801 Website: www.mphonline.com Business hour: 10.00 am - 10.00 pm

Library 

Illiterates of the 21 st Century 

Time and again we read 

in the newspapers about 

people being duped to 

depart with their life 

savings by unscrupulous 

individuals or syndicates. 

In one of the cases the 

victim received a phone call informing 

him that he just won a lottery worth 

millions. And in order for the prize 

money to be transferred into his 

account, he has to deposit, into a given 

bank account number, some amount 

of money to cover administrative and 

processing costs. After the victim 

obliged, the culprit will ask for more 

money by giving more excuses as 

justification until the victim lost all his 

savings or until he realised that the 

whole thing is just ridiculous. And 

by that time it is already too late to 

avoid monetary lost. After that the 

contact person vanished and the 

victim will be left to wonder what 

step to take next. 

These types of scam only happen 

to uneducated and greedy people. 

Well, there may be some truth in this 

statement but mind you there are 

professionals like lawyers, university 

lecturers and many more unsuspecting 

good citizens also fell victim to these 

fraudulent schemes. 

The popular methods used by the 

syndicates are e-mail, sms and phone 

call to first get the fraudulent 

information to their prospective victims. 

After they received a favourable 

reply all communications that follows 

will use the same medium of 

communication. By using, or more 

appropriately abusing, communication 

technology the culprit managed to 

contact thousands of prospective 

victims in a very short time with 

minimal cost. As the law of averages 

has it surely some people will respond 

and few people will be cheated. This 

few people are enough to motivate 

the syndicate to continue with their 

illegal activity, as the amount of 

money involved is usually quite big. 

But why don’t the victims be suspicious 

in the first place when they first 

received such fraudulent information 

Is there any way to improve our 

“immunity” so that we can reduce 

if not eliminate the chances of being 

cheated by malicious and fraudulent 

information lurking in today’s 

information networks Thank god 

the answer is yes! Unfortunately it 

is not some kind of vaccine that we 

can just inject into our body and 

automatically we are protected. It is 

actually information literacy skills. A 

new literacy (not so new indeed) of 

the 21 st century. Alvin Toffler stopped 

short by saying that “The illiterate 

of the 21 st century will not be those 

who cannot read and write, but 

those who cannot learn, unlearn, 

and relearn.” President Obama 

has more to offer in explaining the 

most basic skills needed for the new 

millennium. 

On the 1 st October 2009, President 

Barack Obama signed a proclamation 

declaring October as National 

Information Literacy Awareness 

Month for the United States of 

America. He proclaim that “Rather 

than merely possessing data, we 

must also learn the skills necessary 

to acquire, collate, and evaluate 

information for any situation. This 

new type of literacy also requires 

competency with communication 

technologies, including computers 

and mobile devices that can help in 

our day-to-day decision making..... 

Though we may know how to find 

the information we need, we must 

also know how to evaluate it. Over 

the past decade, we have seen a crisis 

of authenticity emerge. We now live 

in a world where anyone can publish 

an opinion or perspective, whether 

true or not, and have that opinion 

amplified within the information 

marketplace. At the same time, 

Americans have unprecedented 

access to the diverse and independent 

sources of information, as well as 

institutions such as libraries and 

by Japri Bujang Masli 

universities, that can help separate 

truth from fiction and signal from 

noise.... In addition to the basic skills 

of reading, writing, and arithmetic, it is 

equally important that our students 

are given the tools required to take 

advantage of the information available 

to them. The ability to seek, find, and 

decipher information can be applied 

to countless life decisions, whether 

financial, medical, educational, or 

technical.” 

The more advance our information 

and communication technology, 

and the more information being 

published every second; the more we 

need information literacy skills. We 

really need to learn new knowledge. 

We really need to unlearn old and 

outdated knowledge. We really need 

to relearn similar knowledge that has 

evolved and advanced over time. Ever 

since the phenomena of information 

explosion started with the advancement 

of ICT at the end of the last century 

and the development of the Internet, 

information literacy has become the 

most basic literacy skills needed by all in 

order to optimise their potential in life. 

The borderless world created by 

technological advancement also 

contributed into growing numbers 

of k-society worldwide. An informed 

and knowledgeable society will value 

more and more the freedom of 

choice. This is already evident in the 

developed nations. Others including 

Malaysia are also going the same 

way. Sooner or later, each individual 

will have to make his or her own 

decisions about so many things in life. 

Merely following others is just too 

risky to do. In fact, by having choices 

each of us are also accountable to 

our own decisions. Choosing not to 

choose is actually also a decision. So, 

think carefully and ask yourself, do 

you really want to be an illiterate of 

the 21 st century 

Pustaka Negeri Sarawak conducts 

free information literacy skills classes. 

Sarawak State Library (PUSTAKA) • Jalan Pustaka, Off Jalan Stadium, 93050 Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 082 442000 Fax: (6) 082 449944 E-mail: librarian@sarawaknet.gov.my Website: www.pustaka-sarawak.com 


Beauty 

Rest, Relax 

and Look Good! 

Mother’s Day 

and Gawai Festival Specials 

7 th , 8 th & 9 th May 2010 

Indulge and pamper your Mum and yourself in a blanket of luxury with our 

invigorating unique signature treatments and special deals. What better 

way to express your appreciation and love to your Mum this Mother’s Day. 

Package A 

Purchase an RM100 voucher NOW to enjoy the followings: 

Valid from April-June 

• Perfecting facial treatment worth RM120 

• 20% discount on all Skin Care Products at Pretty Women 

• Free Skin analysis and consultation 

Valid 7 th , 8 th & 9 th May 

• 20% discount on all Skin Care Products + a rebate of RM100 for 

purchases RM1000 and above 

• Free Gift of one box of Enlighten Me Ampoule product (3ml X10) 

worth RM180 

Each person is entitled to purchase one voucher only. 

Package B 

Purchase this hassle free package and enjoy an unlimited facial treatment 

valid for 6 months. Simply, drop in at Pretty Women and the consultants 

will explain on the treatments that will be required to restore that flawless, 

youthful look in you. 

• Entitle to as many treatments as possible for the period of six months 

upon purchase of package. 

* Packages are exclusively for ladies only 

For further information, please contact Pretty Women at 

1 st Floor, Lot 4911, Section 64, Jalan Upland, 93200 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 082 236523 H/P: (6) 019 8579233 


Shopping 

Shoppers 

delight 

and convenience 

Wisma Sanyan Sibu is the perfect 

place for everything this coming Gawai 

and Mother’s Day 

Sarawak celebrates 

the Harvest Festival 

or popularly known 

as ‘Gawai Dayak’ on 

1 st and 2 nd June each year with open 

house tradition whereby the Iban, 

Bidayuh welcome friends of different 

races to their homes for food and 

drinks. It is also a time of great merry 

making, especially in the longhouses 

as everyone return to share the festive 

joy with elders and friends who often 

work in different places and have not 

met for a year. Bringing gifts home is a 

must and each one travels with a huge 

number of packages for their love ones 

to the longhouses. 

Wisma Sanyan in Sibu is the ideal 

shopping centre for many as the 

diversity and numbers of stores here 

make shopping a fun and convenient 

experience. Significant too is that 

Ria by Parkson will begin its grand 

sale from 28 th May to 27 th June 

featuring great buys for home and 

personal items ideally suited for the 

festive holidays. Over the years it has 

become a tradition for many Iban, 

Bidayuh folks coming back to Sibu to 

shop at Wisma Sanyan before taking 

the express boats home to their up 

river longhouses. 

Sibu residents too make a beeline to 

Wisma Sanyan for many of their daily 

and personal needs and in view of 

Mother’s Day (9 th May), it is the best 

place to get that special gift for her. 

A set of golden earrings, bracelet or 

chain round the neck, kitchenette 

items or that beautiful silk dress. 

Wisma Sanyan is packed with shops 

that will satisfy your special gift for 

mum. 

In addition to the gifts, take her for an 

evening of great feast at the numerous 

outlets here like Blue Splendour, Sushi 

Tie, Manna Café Gallery or KFC, Pizza 

Hut all conveniently located in Wisma 

Sanyan. The pleasant restaurants are 

ideal for family gatherings and with 

great food served, they make for a 

Mother’s Day to remember! It is no 

wonder why Wisma Sanyan is known 

as ‘The Pride of Sibu’! 

Suite 26.02, Level 26, Wisma Sanyan, No.1, 

Jalan Sanyan, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 084 349772, 349773 Fax: (6) 084 345772 


Shopping 

The Mall most 

Bintang Megamall Miri is the obvious 

choice for shopping experience and varieties 

as well as good food 

Sarawak’s Resort City Miri is fast 

becoming a preferred destination for 

shopping too with the opening of 

the biggest shopping mall there, the 

Bintang Megamall. Convenient and 

easily accessible from anywhere in 

the sprawling city, Bintang Megamall 

is actually a one-stop centre for your 

shopping needs; in fact, the newly 

opened mall is ideal for family and 

friends as it comes with everything 

shoppers look for. Retail outlets 

selling the biggest name brands, 

chic fashion boutiques, tech and 

electronics, daily necessities, bowling 

alley, Cineplex and definitely food 

corners all combined to give shoppers 

convenience and choices in one 

single location! 


Shopping 

preferred 

The mega brands in food specialties 

are all here in the Bintang Megamall; 

McDonalds, Sugar Bun, Kentucky Fried 

Chicken, MarryBrown, Secret Recipe, 

Big Apple Donut, Sushi King and Pizza 

Hut. Occupying huge floor areas, these 

mega outlets are complementary to 

one another in their offerings and 

provide just the right combination for 

a truly diverse and good selection 

of favourites. As expected, these 

super brands provide quality food 

at reasonable prices and with the 

added ambience of Bintang Megamall, 

the dining experience in the outlets 

is exceptional. Wi-fi connectivity 

is available anywhere in the mall, 

which explains why so many young 

people are ‘stuck’ inside these eateries 

at times with their buddies. 

A range of activities have also been 

planned at these outlets; check the 

dates and come for the fun and 

excitement with the crowd there. Sushi 

King will be having a sushi making 

competition in July so sharpen your 

sushi making skills now! Pizza Hut will 

launch their pizza eating competition 

in August, which means that great 

offers will also be coming. Big 

Apple Donut will have donut design 

competition in September and winners 

will walk home with fabulous prizes! 

KFC, Kids Fun Club will continue 

to organise colouring competition 

with Chicky that all young children 

should take part in. Other interesting 

and fun activities will be taking place 

in the mall throughout the year so 

watch out for them; just drop by 

and look at the programmes for the 

month and join in for a joyous time 

with other participants. Children will 

especially have the time of their lives 

mixing with friends and others in 

these happy events. 

Other food establishments found in 

Bintang Megamall include Taste Better 

(Ice cream and yogurt), Bintang Café 

(Light refreshments like sandwiches, 

juice bar), Kokoberry (Milk Tea 

corner), Cook & Chili (Asian food 

corner) with a few more expected 

to open soon. The varieties available 

here certainly add to the reasons to 

come more often as the mall offers a 

relaxing and conducive atmosphere 

for shopping and eating your favourites 

at the same time. 

With the rapid expansion of varieties of 

outlets specialising in particular range 

of merchandises, Bintang Megamall 

is fast becoming a specialised 

outlet for many different needs and 

expectations. The advantage is that 

everything is under one roof and 

that makes it more convenient 

complimented with ample parking 

facilities. The mall is just ideal for 

everyone. It has also become the 

preferred destination for many 

shoppers from neighbouring states 

due to the choices and prices, making 

Bintang Megamall Sarawak’s premier 

shopping destination for both locals 

and foreigners. 

BINTANG PLAZA Sdn Bhd • P.O.Box 491, 98000 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. Block 9, Jalan Miri-Pujut MCLD, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Tel: (6) 085 438877 Fax: (6) 085 425852 Email: info@bintangplaza.com 


Product 

Authentic 

Indian Curries 

AVS brand curry powder ensure 

the best results for home and commercial cooking 

with the various ingredients for the 

different types of curry powders that 

are marketed under the AVS brand 

today. In fact, many restaurants in 

Kuching and elsewhere in Sarawak 

also get their curry powders from 

AVS because they can be assured of 

the consistent products and taste. 

The main reason why the consistency 

is maintained is because the ingredients 

are freshly processed and carefully 

packed in airtight bags. 

Curry lovers are among the fastidious 

food people in Malaysia; each one has 

very strong opinions on the best curry 

restaurants and outlets and nothing 

will persuade them otherwise! With 

hundreds of brands in the market so 

which one would be most authentic 

and always results in aromatic, rich 

flavour of original Indian curry 

Wonder no more as now throughout 

Sarawak you can get AVS brand 

curry powders for all your favourite 

curry dishes. 

Unlike others, AVS brand pride 

themselves in giving the best to the 

customers and ensure consistency 

in the various curry powders. Firstly, 

all of the ingredients are direct from 

India. Secondly, the powders are 

processed in their factory and mixed 

Many of the ingredients can also be 

found locally and in neighbouring 

countries but these lack the flavour 

and consistency of those found in 

India, especially when stored over a 

period of time. Naturally most people 

who buy these curry powders do not 

use the whole package in one session 

and the remaining powders are often 

left for sometime before being 

used again. This is where the pure 

ingredients come into play as they 

retain their aromatic and rich flavour 

even after a period of storage. 

To get the original taste and consistency 

of Indian curry, try AVS brand for 

beef, mutton, fish, chicken or other 

flavours and by just following the 

simple cooking instructions, anyone 

can cook up rich and inspiring Indian 

curry dishes! 

Other than curry powders, AVS 

Resources also produces many different 

spices that are commonly used for fine 

Indian dishes like turmeric powders, 

five-spice flavour and pepper to chili 

powders. These can be found in 

many local grocery stores and also 

in every AVS restaurants in Kuching, 

Demak Laut and Serian. 

For more information on AVS curry powders and spices, they can be contacted at: 

AVS Resources Sdn. Bhd. • Lot 1282, Block 3, Muara Tebas Land Disrict, Kampung Bako, 

PO Box 2182, 93744 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel/Fax: (6) 082 432182 

www.avsresouces.com.my 


Product 

fabric to colours. We want to assure our customers that 

we are here for them and that picking the right furniture 

or accessory for their home is not as difficult as it may 

seem,” he explained. 

Bringing your 

home to life 

A name that is known to Kuching residents, WHB Furniture 

is synonymous with high quality furniture that brings your 

home to life. From modern, elegant and stylish furnishings, 

WHB offers a wide variety of furniture for every part of 

your home from the bedroom to living room, dining room, 

children’s room and patio. 

WHB also ensures customers are provided with as much 

information as possible on what is suitable for their 

homes and advice them on how to care for their furniture. 

According to WHB’s Marketing Manager, Nicholas Sia, 

their focus is to combine interior design, custom made 

furniture, home accessories and furnishings which will 

provide customers with plenty to select from. “We 

believe in offering a wide range for everyone from style, 

Located at Jalan Rock in Kuching, WHB offers a three floor 

showroom with the ground floor displaying a wide range 

of furniture for the living room, dining area, patio, garden, 

kitchen and more. On the 2 nd floor is bedroom furniture 

in various designs to suit everyone’s needs and taste 

while a section of the 3rd floor focuses on furniture for 

children’s bedroom. 

Accessories are an essential part of any home and at 

WHB customers will find a huge variety which will add 

dimension and comfortable look to every home. For 

example, cheer up a plain coffee table by placing a small 

bowl of bright flowers or fruits on it. Likewise, a touch 

of elegance will be added to a dining table with a candle 

chandelier in the centre. Art works or sculptures which 

are placed in the right spot will add characteristic to a 

home. All of this can be found here with the assistance 

from the staff of WHB. 

“What we aim for here is to ensure that every home gets 

that little bit of TLC so that it will be a lifestyle experience 

for the occupants. Our vision is to provide everyone with 

a living concept for each home to suit each customer’s 

taste and preference,” said Nicholas. 

For more information on your home furnishing, come visit WHB Furniture at Rock Road 

for the latest in design and concepts or call for appointment. 

WEE HUA BOO TRADING SDN BHD 

Lot 102, 2½ Mile, Rock Road, 93200 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 082 246641, 240775 Fax: (6) 082 240295 Email: weehuaboo@gmail.com 


filmPreview 

Tel: 6 082 234 077 

Tuesday | Ladies Day, Ticket only RM6 

(not applicable for male and public holiday) 

Wednesday | Movie Day, Ticket only RM5 

(not applicable for movie marked (“) and public holiday) 

Clash Of The Titans 

Genre: Action/Adventure and Remake 

Rated: PG In Cineplex: 1 st April 2010 

Synopsis: 

The ultimate struggle for power pits men against 

kings and kings against gods. But the war between the 

gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a 

god but raised as a man, Perseus is helpless to save his 

family from Hades, vengeful god of the underworld. 

With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a 

dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize 

power from Zeus and unleash hell on earth. Leading 

a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous 

journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy 

demons and fearsome beasts. 

Prince Of Persia : 

The Sands of Time 

Genre: Action, Adventure 

Rated: PG In Cineplex: 27 th May 2010 

Synopsis: 

Set in 9 th century medieval 

Persia, a young adventurous prince 

uncovers a dangerous artifact in 

a remote mountain kingdom and 

with the help of an enemy princess, 

must stop a despot from unleashing 

a sandstorm that could destroy all 

mankind. 

The Karate Kid 

Genre: Action Rated: PG 

In Cineplex: 10 th Jun 2010 

Synopsis: 

11 year-old Dre Parker (Jaden 

Smith) and his mother, 

Sherry, are forced to move to 

Beijing, China as a result of 

a job transfer. Dre struggles 

to adapt and finds himself 

in trouble with one of the 

toughest boys at school. 

Unknown to Dre, Mr. Han, 

his apartment building’s 

maintenance man and a 

retired karate instructor, has 

been secretly watching Dre’s 

struggles. Mr. Han steps in to 

defend Dre and becomes his 

mentor. 

*All booked tickets must be collected 45 min before show times. 

Sarawak 

What’sOn April – June 2010 

21 st - 25 th April 

Mukah Kaul Festival 

Pantai Kuala Dana, Mukah, Sarawak 

Kaul is a traditional festival celebrated by the 

Melanau living along the coast of Sarawak. 

The festival is a ritual of purification 

and thanksgiving as well as one of the 

propitiation for good fortune. 

May 

Miri May Fest 

Miri 

Various events and 

activities organised 

the whole month of 

May in-conjunction 

of Miri City day 

celebration. 

20 th May 

Miri City Day Celebration 

Miri 

14 th - 15 th May 

Miri International 

Jazz Festival 

The Pavilion, ParkCity Everly 

Hotel, Miri, Sarawak 

21 st - 23 rd May 

Miri International Deep Sea 

Fishing Tournament 

Marina Bay, Miri 

A yearly event organised by local anglers club for 

deep fishing maniacs in Miri. 

29 th - 30 th May 

World Harvest 

Festival 

Sarawak Cultural Village, 

Santubong 

A sacred cultural gathering 

of world communities that grow paddy and 

celebrates the harvest in a spirit of brotherhood 

and common understanding. Showcasing a theme 

play live drama and ethnic beauty pageant 

1 st - 3 rd June 

Lun Bawang Festival 

Lawas Town, Sarawak 

This festival is traditionally a celebration 

of the rice harvest, but now it showcases 

a variety of Lun Bawang culture and 

events such as Ruran Ulung (beauty 

pageant contest) and ngiup suling (bamboo musical 

instrument band) 

4 th - 6 th June 

Babulang Festival 

Kampung Batu Danau, Limbang, Sarawak 

Pesta Babulang is a buffalo race 

festival which is significant to Bisaya 

community in Limbang. 

19 th - 20 th June 

Balleh-Kapit Raft Safari 

Balleh River, Kapit, Sarawak 

A two-day rafting competition where participants 

get the chance to maneuvers the raft, once used 

by riverine communities and to experience the rich 

Iban culture in their most natural environment. 

(Note: Event dates are subject to change without prior notice) For further enquiries, please contact: 

Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) Tel: (6) 082 446688 • Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Tel: (6) 082 242311 • Padawan Municipal Council Tel: (6) 082 615566 

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) Tel: (6) 082 423600 • Miri City Council Tel: (6) 085 424111 • Sibu Municipal Council Tel: (6) 084 333411 


Pets 

Home 

My 

Pet Care 

The place for animals and more! 

Pets like dogs and cats 

often are men’s best 

friends and children who 

grew up with pets often 

make them more friendly and kind to 

animals when they grow up. My Home 

Pet Care in Kuching is just the place 

to bring kids to have close up look 

of some of these wonderful cats and 

dogs as well as many other cute and 

strange creatures like rabbits, lizards, 

spiders and playful hamsters to liven up 

their spirit. Under the new management 

team, there are also plans for rare 

species of fish not found in other 

aquariums as well as other interesting 

pets. My Home Pet Care is also the 

distributor and seller for Hagen 

products which are famous for their 

pets’ care range of products as well as 

others like canned and packaged food, 

cages, accessories. In fact, the shop is 

also a boarding home for animals if 

owners have to be away on holidays 

and other emergency situations. 

My Home Pet Care is a little specialised 

from the usual pet shops as they carry 

more exotic animals like the geckos 

(lizards) from different parts of the world 

and hamsters of different breeds and 

sizes. If you wish for a particular breed 

of cat like Persian, Siamese, Norwegian 

or British shorthair they can source for 

you just like a special breed of poodle, 

Labrador, shin tzu or dachshund too 

can be ordered through 

them. Some pet owners 

also bring their cats and 

dogs for grooming here 

which also save time 

while giving their pets 

the right care at the same time. In fact, 

they encourage people to spend time 

looking at these animals in the shop 

as it can be therapeutic for people to 

be close to animals and also to learn 

about them. The sales person will also 

guide customers on the correct types of 

food for the various kinds of animals as 

the shop carries whole range of animal 

feed and medications too. 

If prices are what put you off pets, then 

My Home Pet Care is just the place to 

look for pets at reasonable cost. Their 

philosophy is based on the ideals that 

by lowering costs, the number of pet 

owners will increase which is good for 

the industry on the whole and which 

also leads to more happy people who 

enjoy time with their pets. In fact, if you 

smile more when you step into the shop, 

they will give you more discounts when 

you purchase something! Friendliness 

is part of their culture at the My Home 

Pet Care shop and this also translates 

into the care and attention they give to 

clients’ pets when boarding with them 

for short or extended stay. 

Just as each animal is different, each 

individual is different too so having a pet 

is a way of showing care and affection 

while admiring their distinct traits and 

characteristics unique in each of them. 

Come and have a look at the beautiful 

and wonderful animals in My Home 

Pet Care shop and be amused by their 

antics as well as strange behaviors. 



565 Jalan Wan Alwi, Tabuan Jaya, Kuching, 

Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: (6) 082 363688 

Email: myhomepetcare@gmail.com 

Facebook: Home Pet Care 

(Opening hours: Monday – Sunday from 9am – 8pm) 


People 

Committed 

to his profession 

Dr Zulkifli Jantan wants medical 

professionals to serve society first and self 

interest as secondary importance 

Presently Director of Health Sarawak, 

Dr Zulkifli Jantan was born in 

Banting, Selangor but actually has 

spent more time in Sarawak, serving 

in various positions and locations 

since 1981 under the Ministry of 

Health. After graduation from 

University Kebangsaan Malaysia, he 

was immediately posted to Sarawak 

General Hospital in 1981 as Medical 

Officer in Serian Hospital in 1982. The 

following year, 1983 he was posted 

as Medical Officer acting as District 

Health Officer for Lundu district before 

moving to the other end of Sarawak, 

in Limbang in 1986. His next stop in 

1988 was in Miri as Divisional Medical 

Officer for Miri division and in 1991 

was back in Kuching in charge of 

Family Health Development in the 

state. Dr Zulkifli was made Deputy 

Director of Health Sarawak in 2002. 

In 2008 he assumed the post of 

Director of Sarawak General Hospital 

and in 2010, he took over the position 

as the State Director of Sarawak 

Health Department. 

“It appears that I have tender feelings 

for Sarawak and frankly, I think this 

is a beautiful place,” he said happily 

about his stints in the state. “I 

believe that postings to different 

locations and seeing different places, 

including serving the rural services 

here like the Flying Doctor Services 

will give young doctors the experience 

and also the awareness of the need 

for medical personnel in places like 

Sarawak. It may even be culture 

shock for some of them but these 

types of exposure like going rural 

will train them for better things in 

future and really live by the code of 

serving in the medical profession 

which of course may not lead them 

to richness!” he pointed out. “As 

professionals, we should educate as 

many locals as possible in these rural 

settings to become representatives 

in the dispensing of simple medicine, 

organise health activities and others 

so that the general population will 

gain in awareness and take up 

healthy living as part of their daily 

lives.” 

Dr Zulkifli strongly advocates the 

family unit as the foundation for 

young doctors to become good in 

what they do as family brings stability 

and always a source of warmth to 

come home to at the end of an 

exhausting day. Hence he advised 

doctors to allocate time for their 

family as part of their own selfdevelopment. 

“Remember the medical profession 

is so large and always changing 

rapidly with technology and more 

new challenges will continue to 

arise. Commitment and sacrifices are 

always in demand and if they are 

not prepared to do so then they 

will not get very far. Like I said, the 

profession allows for many levels and 

types of expertise but if the end goal 

is to become super rich as a doctor, 

I think these people have missed 

the point of a medical career,” he 

reiterated. 

On the issue of public and private 

medical practices, Dr Zulkifli believes 

that the two need to work together 

and compliment each other in the 

sharing of information and resources 

as ultimately the aim of the profession 

is to bring better health care to 

everyone regardless of their stature, 

culture, origin or religion. 


People 

Sarawakian Dr Sim Kui Hian is an 

internationally recognised cardiac specialist with 

a mission to bring the state and nation’s medical 

profession to a whole new level 

Just want to do his part 

Where work is concerned, commitment 

and passion will surely lead to success 

and recognition, even if one is in the 

middle of the jungle like in Sarawak, 

Borneo. A case in point is under his 

leadership as President, the National 

Heart Association of Malaysia 

received the prestigious honour of 

being the only Malaysian unit to be 

recognised as the 1 st International 

Chapter of American College of 

Cardiology in April 2009. The 

Cardiac Centre in Kuching under 

the Sarawak General Hospital is also 

internationally acknowledged as one 

of the most advanced centers for 

clinical trials and the only Asian site 

listed on the Siemens International 

website for cardiac CT training. 

“Certainly I am proud and happy of 

the achievements of the cardiac unit 

here but all these are only possible with 

similar commitment from many others 

who share this vision and mission 

of making it a truly internationally 

recognised centre,” said Dr Sim Kui 

Hian who initiated the project in 

2001. As head of the unit he leads 

by example and expounds the phrase 

‘Speak less, do more, prove your 

sincerity by action’ which over 

the last ten years garnered him 

Fellowships in over ten international, 

national organisations and chairs 

numerous professional societies 

around the world. 

“Currently we are still into capacity 

building, bringing up the next 

generation of specialists who will 

be leading the various units into the 

next phase of medical history for 

Sarawak and Malaysia, and we can 

do all these even though we are very 

much restricted by our capacity as 

government doctors working with 

limited resources and funding in the 

The official Opening of 

Heart House by Datuk Seri 

Liow Tiong Lai, Minister 

of Health Malaysia (left) in 

October 2009. 

early stages. Our young specialists 

are sent on attachments in various 

international, national centres to 

gain experience and exposure and 

the hospital patients here provide 

us with the opportunity to conduct 

trials and research to further our skills,” 

he acknowledged. The downside he 

noted is that most of them will not 

become ‘super rich’ doctors as the 

medical service has pay ceilings. 

“Typical day for me is to meet patients 

in morning to get feedbacks while 

afternoon to night are administrative 

and correspondence work, planning 

and meeting with peers. Travelling 

to locations around the world for 

various events takes the largest 

chunk of time and all these leave 

very little time for my family which 

thankfully they understand and 

forgive me for it!” he said with a 

hearty laugh. He nonchalantly added 

that at different phases in his career 

he had set out goals to achieve and 

has accomplished most which points 

to the often rumored possibility of 

taking up the political gauntlet in the 

footsteps of his late father. 

The pioneering people, the team that started the cardiac service in 2001. 

Dr Sim (left) receiving certificate of recognition as the 1 st International 

Chapter of American College of Cardiology from Dr Bove, President of 

American College of Cardiology. 


Jalan Abell 

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Sarawak Plaza 

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Jalan Song Thian Cheok 

Jalan Padungan 

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Food 

Sample some 

famous ice-cold 

drinks with 

side orders while 

in Kuching 

Tea time everyone! 

For out-of-towners the following places 

for tea are a little off the usual Kuching 

tour itinerary so you may need some 

guidance on that first visit. City folks 

here have a habit of dropping by these 

places around three in the afternoon 

to socialise and also dig into some of 

these old time favourites. 

One of the oldest and famed tea 

time haunt is Swee Kang at Jalan 

Haji Taha which is located in a terrace 

house. Operating for the past 50 

years it sells delicious ice kacang 

(beans), chandol, ABC Special, white 

lady, matterhorn and the list goes 

on; one thing common about these 

is they are thirst quenchers, sweet as 

well as creamy. Special durian iced is 

also available during the durian fruit 

season. For snacks you have choice 

of rojak (mixture of local vegetables 

in prawn based sauce with a dash 

of crushed peanuts), sotong (squid) 

kangkong or even umai jellyfish. 

The store operates from 11:30am to 

7:00pm so you can take your time 

while taking a breather for the day. 

Just nearby is another Swee Kang 

that’s located inside a shophouse, 


operated by another brother selling 

similar drinks but has additional 

choices of snacks. Here you may 

want to try out the lok-lok (choices 

of fish balls, eggs, prawns and 

others in deep fry), prawn, potato, 

yam or bean curd fritters. Closed on 

Thursdays, it runs form 10:30am to 

11:00pm daily and you will find locals 

who are frequent customers here. 

Wang You stalls inside Poh Kwong 

Park (Lorong Sungai Maong 5 ) is 

a little harder to locate and it sells 

highly recommended belachan bee 

hoon (prawn paste soup with rice 

vermicelli, kangkong and cuttlefish). 

Those less adventurous may opt 

for wonton soup with fish balls as 

all the ingredients are home made 

and fresh. They operate daily from 

8:00am to 8:00pm.   

Those staying close to the city centre 

can easily visit the famous fish ball 

outlet along Carpenter Street, just 

opposite the temple. The stall too has 

been operating for 53 years, dishing 

out yong tau foo with fish ball, stuffed 

meat tau foo and most popular pork 

satay where the barbequed smell fills 

the nearby area with an unforgettable 

flavour. To sample the fish ball soup 

and satay you have to arrive before 

2:30 pm or you may leave disappointed 

as the food is usually sold out by the 

later part of the afternoon. They only 

use mackerel for fish ball and lean 

meat for meatballs with no MSG which 

explains the goodness of the balls 

soup. As for the satay, it is seasoned 

with curry power, oil and sugar but 

the secret is in the peanut sauce. 

The sauce, comprise a blend of curry 

power, Indian sambal, oil and 20 types 

of spices cooked over slow heat for 5 

hours results in creamy and additive 

sauce. The store has Friday off and the 

rest of the week they operate from 

11:00 am to 5:00 pm. 

Just before you head for the hotel or 

car, why not buy back some banana 

fritters at the hawker stall right outside 

the fish ball store. Their batter is made 

with two different types of flour and 

is really crunchy to the bite while the 

bananas are sweet and tantalizing. 

The banana fritters stall only operates 

during the afternoons from 1:00 to 

around 4:30pm and is also closed 

on Fridays.

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