As Malaysia enters into yet another Movement Control Order (i.e. MCO) the executive members of KiTA are concerned with the low registration and vaccination rate at Sabah. As of 10^th June 2021, the registration rate of Sabah (from www.vaksincovid.gov.my) stood at 20.66% and vaccination rate stood at 7.29%. Kinabatangan area only achieved 6.03% of registration rate. The target need to achieve herd immunity is 80%!

Executive members of KiTA therefore contacted the Kinabatangan hospital and together, rolled out a registration and vaccination exercise.

It started on 9^th June, at Kampung Sukau where 86 village folks together with some staff of Kita member lodges were vaccinated before moving to Kampung Abai. It is of hope that those who have been vaccinated will pass on by word of mouth, the need for vaccination in order to achieve herd immunity.

Ms. Amy Chin of SI Tours Sdn Bhd who has a tourism lodge at Kampung Abai helped to co-ordinate the vaccination exercise. “It is important to all work together during this time’ said Amy. “I am especially glad that KiTA led this initiative and show to the Kampung Abai folks that KiTA is very much concern of their well-being and part of the community’ added Amy.

“We hope that the folks who have taken the vaccination will help to pass on the news to the others through word of mouth and speed up the process of vaccination” said Alexander Yee, president of KiTA. And he went on to say “At this moment, the only hope to curb and fight Covid-19 is by achieving 80% vaccinations for our population. The sooner we can achieve this, the faster we can get back on our feet and resume daily lives. We have to chase time as we have been under several forms of lock down for over a year now.”

As part of KiTA’s effort to encourage the village folks to be vaccinated, the Association has set aside 500 bags of 5kg rice packs to gift to the first 500 village folks who have taken the vaccination on 30th June 2021 at the Kinabatangan hospital.  We will be conducting the vaccination exercise on a weekly basis. For more information, please contact kitaborneo@gmail.com

President : Mr Alexander Yee Kok Tsen

Immediate Past President : Mr Tan Leong Wui

Vice President : Mr Johnny Lim Si Tsung

Secretary : Mr Ouh Kiao Cheng

Treasurer : Mdm Amy Chin Siew Mei

Committee members : Mdm Sulinah Tan & Puan Yanti binti Awang

“We are appreciative of the sacrifices the media friends have made during the recent Movement Control Order (MCO) and the on-going Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). Despite challenging environment, they are on the field daily to cover important news so that the public can be well informed” said Alexander “with un-ending updates, the public can rely on reliable sources and not succumb to fake news or rumours” added Alexander.

When receiving the items, James thanked Alexander and Johnny on behalf of Pemassa and said that Pemassa always place priority to the safety of its members assigned to frontline duties throughout the MCO and CMCO. “We appreciate the assistance provided by elected representatives, NGOs, private sectors and individuals for media practitioners in Sandakan”, he added.

During the brief hand over session, both Alexander and Johnny also informed James that KiTA has put in place strict standard operating procedures (SOP) in line with the guidelines of Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation and the member lodges are ready to kick start tourism activities in Kinabatangan by middle of June. KiTA is just waiting green light from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment and Majlis Perbandaran Sandakan. KiTA has also formulated several activities such as hygiene re-branding of member lodges, front liners appreciation stay program and also a “Welcome Back to Kinabatangan” promotional video by the fame Sandakan based videographer, Mr Cede Prudente.

All KiTA member lodges will carry a KiTA logo with a tagline “Safe. Trustworthy. Resposible.” KiTA will form a sub-committee to self-audit the members. Such self-auditing has been done before for Sustainable Practices of KiTA member lodges.

Trustfully, with the new SOPs and branding in place, KiTA member lodges will be seen as “green zone lodges” and will give confidence for tourists to visit.
In order to proceed with these reviving activities, KiTA will be using its reserve of volunteering conservation levy to the tune of RM200,000.

Alexander will be leading KiTA to meet up with YB Christina Liew, the minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment of Sabah to brief the minister on KiTA’s strategies and plans as well as to seek the Ministry to match the amount set aside by KiTA in order to revive tourism of Kinabatangan.

KiTA member lodges alone contribute about RM50 millions of tourism revenue to the area yearly.

It is vital that Kinabatangan leads the revival of tourism activities in the east coast of Sabah as tourists coming to Kinabatangan often enter via Sandakan and also visit surrounding areas like Sepilok, Tabin and Danum Valley. The estimated value of these tourism activities is said to be RM140-180 million yearly.

6 members (12 participants) has completed a 1 1/2 day training on First Aid & AED at Myne Resort. Congratulations to all! and thank you to Fieldskills Adventure team whom conducted it very well.

ABOUT 50 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED THIS WORKSHOP CONCERNING LAST YEAR’S RESEARCH FINDINGS AT KINABATANGAN. THANK YOU TO PROFESSOR JENNIFER CHAN, DIRECTOR OF BTRC, UMS AND TEAM FOR PRESENTING THE OUTCOME AND WAY FORWARD.

Held in KiTA office on 28th January 2020.

15TH JANUARY 2020, MIRZA CAFE, EVENT HALL, IJM, SANDAKAN