Borneocolours

Semudah ABC , itulah sebahagian testimoni daripada pembeli yang telah mendapatkan ebook ini , berbaloi kerana dengan adanya e-book Belajar Bahasa Iban Mudah ini anda hanya perlu menekan CTRL + F dan taipkan perkataan yang anda tidak faham maka anda akan mendapat jawapannya.

e-Book ini adalah dalam bentuk fomat Excel dan setiap perkataan dan ayat telah disusun mengikut abjad A - Z . Setiap perkataan Bahasa Iban akan di "alih" kan kepada Bahasa Melayu bukan itu sahaja , anda juga boleh memahami dan mempelajari contoh - contoh ayat dalam Bahasa Iban dalam bentuk beberapa Situasi.

Itu adalah sebahagian daripada testimoni pembeli dan ada banyak lagi dibawah. Mr J rasa gembira sangat bila dapat membantu orang untuk mempelajari dialek Bahasa Iban ini .

Testimonial daripada pembeli!!

Let's learn about Horse-shoe Crab or Belangkas today! :)

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Publication: NST

Date of publication: Mar 16, 2009

Byline / Author: By Evangeline Majawat

Definitely A Cracking Good Crab

MYSTERIOUS and unappreciated, horseshoe crabs are slowly revealing their secrets to a team of local scientists. EVANGELINE MAJAWAT discovers that their findings could just be the `eureka' moment the nation has been holding her breath for.

With its primitive armour-like shell and spiny tail, this misunderstood marine creature strikes fear in the hearts of many.

But one of nature's gentlest creatures, the horseshoe crab could just be the nation's key to breakthrough research into an exclusive multi-million biomedical industry currently dominated by one country.

For the past few years, horseshoe crabs or "belangkas" have been the subject of intense but low-profile research at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT).

The eight-man team has been studying two out of three species of Asian horseshoe crabs found in our waters - Tachypleus gigas and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda - in the hope of discovering a way to produce an endotoxin test kit.

If successful, Malaysia would be the second country in the world and the first in Asia to produce a test kit derived from the famous cyan-blue blood of horseshoe crabs.

More importantly, this test kit would be an alternative to the invaluable endotoxin test "Limulus Amebocyte Lysate" (LAL), which is produced only in the United States.

The prototype is expected to be ready by the end of this year, with the end product completed by 2010.

"We're on the brink of a great breakthrough. If we do produce this kit, then we won't have to pay so much any more (for LAL)," UMT Institute of Tropical Aquaculture senior researcher Dr Zaleha Kassim told the New Straits Times.

The LAL is the standard test used by laboratories and hospitals worldwide to detect harmful bacteria and endotoxins in all pharmaceutical products and medical devices.

"We would cut cost for local labs and hospitals. And Malaysia could potentially make a lot of money if this test kit gets into the market," Zaleha said.

Fellow UMT Biological Science Department senior researcher Dr Noraznawati Ismail believes that the local test kit would cost only half the price of the imported ones.

"It generally costs more than RM1,000 for just a minute amount of LAL. We could produce local kits which would be sold for half that sum."

In December last year, UMT received a RM1.9 million research grant from the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti).

UMT was given two years to study and develop a scientific protocol for the extraction of the blood compounds and production of the endotoxin test kit.

The kit would be called either "Tachypleus Amebocyte Lysate" (TAL) or "Carcinoscorpius Amebocyte Lysate" (CAL), after the genus of the two types of horseshoe crabs.

"We're in the midst of refurbishing the existing lab in UMT so we can concentrate on studying these animals," Noraznawati said.

The team is eager to extend the research to Sabah waters where the biggest of the Asian horseshoe species, the Tachypleus tridentatus, thrives.

Zaleha said a separate team of researchers were in the midst of conducting a stock assessment study with Mosti and the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry.

She said they hoped to start work in Sabah in the middle of this year.

"We're on the verge of discovering something very important," she said proudly.

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Pollution, greedy fishermen a threat to horseshoe crab

ONCE considered useless, the humble "belangkas" is thrust into the limelight as more people discover the beneficial properties of its blood.

But the attention is not always welcomed because with it, comes unsustainable demand and irresponsible fishing.

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu Institute of Tropical Aquaculture senior researcher Dr Zaleha Kassim said the price of a horseshoe crab had skyrocketed from a mere 50 sen to a gut-punching RM5.

This, she said, had given rise to fly-by-night companies and greedy fishermen who were all in for the quick buck.

Zaleha has had to change her mobile phone number after being bombarded with calls from parties demanding she buy their catch.

"I can't stand these people who demand that the university buy from them. When we refuse, they'll blame us. We only need a small amount. These people call us and force us to buy up to hundreds of horseshoe crabs," she said.

Most of the time, these horseshoe crabs are found to be in poor condition.

"Then, there are those who call us for advice on how to rear horseshoe crabs. They cannot be cultivated.

"Most of them die in captivity within two to three months of being caught," she said.

She also explained that it takes up to nine years for a horseshoe crab to mature sexually and be able to mate.

"There is no quick get-rich-scheme with these horseshoe crabs."

Zaleha said the UMT research team would not only draw up the scientific protocol for their blood extraction but also for the conservation of these "beautiful and gentle creatures".

"Not much is known about horseshoe crabs. They're not a protected species but don't be fooled into thinking that they are abundant in our waters.

"It is very important that we protect them from unsustainable fishing. This would ensure our supply if the research is successful," she said.

There are also threats from habitat destruction and pollution.

"As mangrove forests disappear and beaches and the sea are polluted, the number of these animals will dwindle," she said.

Horseshoe crabs are also important for migratory birds.

"Horseshoe crabs are food source for migratory birds which flock to the country every year. If we protect the crabs, then the birds come with the bird watchers in tow. Now, isn't that eco-tourism?"

Zaleha also dismissed talk that consuming horseshoe crab meat has traditional medicinal benefits.

"It is not scientifically proven," she pointed out.

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© Copyright 2009 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.

Credits to: New Straits Times (NST)

*click at the image for more clear view.

This is my friend, Richard Sokial. I got to know him through my activities in North Borneo History Enthusiasts (NBHE). Granted that our 'friendship' (if he allows me to refer to it as such :P) is less than a year but I think I am a good judge of character. I have nominated him for the 2012 Sindak Pangazou, an award of sort given by Voice OUT Kota Kinabalu which is an annual youth art festival organized jointly by Youth-PREP Centre (YPC), Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP) and Sabah Women's Action-Resource Group (SAWO). 

This year their theme is 'Breakout'. To quote them about their concept: 

"Voice Out aims to reach out to the young people through art as its medium. The music and art piece which will be contributed by both local talents and local artists will portray the social problems faced by the young people of today. We will also be conducting art events throughout the month of May in different locations and the Voice Out Concert will be the highlight and climax for all the programs."

And quoting them again about Sindak Pangazou:

Finding Huminodun is a search for one female youth who had contributed to the local communities and deserves an appreciation. Alongside the Finding Huminodun, we are also awarding another potential male youth as our Sindak Pangazou (Burning Warrior) The female youth will be awarded as the Voice-Out 2012 Youth Huminodun.Voting on facebook will close on Thursday 17 May 2012. 50% of the marks will be based on the likes in Facebook and another 50% will be decided by the judges during Voice-Out 2012 at Suria Sabah 19th May 2012 .The participants will be presenting a cause (eg. Indegenous Rights, Music, etc.) of their choice.Let's vote!!    

Now, why did I nominate Richard for Sindak Pangazou. First thing you must know is that Richard spent his childhood in New York at a young age! However, when you meet him, you will not hear any American accent from him. He is a down to earth fellow of Dusun Tatana (Kuala Penyu) and Tambunan parentage.

He is an architect by training but chose social activism as his vocation. Sure, he could get a 9 to 5 job and sit in some air-conditioned office and get his fat pay check every month but an inner voice told him that there must be more in life than just money! Perhaps his thinking was partly influenced by his environment while growing up in a foreign country. He saw things perhaps, we didn't see while growing up! Anyway, he was deadset about what he will do with his life and he 'breakout'! He decided that he would go against the flow. The conventional thinking is, you slog in University and when you graduated, you get a high paying job, drive an expensive car and marry a beautiful wife. He could get a beautiful wife by the way, the guy is suave looking :D. But he went the opposite of Sabahan or Malaysian conventional wisdom for the matter! 

He chose instead, to be involved with his community. To pay back to his community no doubt. He chose instead to fight to preserve his community's architectural heritage; Sabah's architectural heritage! He traveled extensively most of Sabah and record whatever he could on the subject. As a result, he has written and in some cases, commissioned to author a book or two on Sabah's architectural heritage!

He founded Heritage Sabah which was recently successfully registered as an NGO with our Registra of Society. Heritage Sabah is of course widely reported in our local papers for their mission to preserve the Atkinson Clock Tower. If anyone deserve the Sindak Pangazou title, I think Richard should be it! This is not only about him but also the people behind Heritage Sabah! This will validate their cause. They didn't do this for the money or glamour. Trust me, there's nothing glamourous about this activism. Plenty of long hours which extended beyond sanctioned working or overtime hours but they still doing it for us!

Therefore, vote for Richard. Click on this link and click LIKE.

*UPDATE*

Seems like I have erred in some of the facts that I presented. For example, Richard spent his childhood in UK and not New York! :P Now how did I got that two mixed up?? Since I'm very bad at telling his story, I'm just going to let him tell his story himself.

Astaga ging. Okay erm - I was in UK, not NYork. Sino Dusun but Chinese Hokkien from Kuala Penyu (not Tatana) and Dusun Tambunan...took up architectural heritage conservation cos in my final year at University I was shocked to find there were not many resources on Sabah traditional architecture at all! Additionally always got teased by West Malaysians about the lack of architecture we had in Sabah (tinggal atas pokok, etc). I did research on heritage architecture and documented it so that future young Sabahan graduates would not have to go through this kind of humiliating treatment from others, so that they could know their heritage and hold their head up proud. I believed (and still do) that those who have the privilege of obtaining higher education should use it to give back to the local community in some way. There are many forms of leadership, not just politics and i believe that through public awareness and sharing of information, we can empower young people to make the right choices for the future.

Richard has an impressive credentials too. Amongst them, being chose to represent Malaysia at the IVLP 2008 : Cultural Heritage Preservation Program in Washington DC! Read here for his experience at the event. 

P.s/- The profile description about Richard in the Facebook Finding Sindak Pangazou page was written by me. I've also erred about his ethnicity which he already clarified above. My unreserved apology to Richard for the mistakes.

Happy Mothers's Day to all mothers in the World!! :D