Kota Kinabalu (KK) Wetlands

Location

The Kota Kinabalu Wetlands is located just two kilometers north-east of Kota Kinabalu It is actually in Likas and was formerly known as the Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary. The Kota Kinabalu Wetlands is an area that covers a mangrove forest of 60 acres. The wetlands were initially used as a model wetland center for the purpose of education, recreation, tourism, conservation and research. The Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society manages the Kota Kinabaly Wetlands.

Overview

By walking on a 1.5 kilometer walkway, you will be directed deeper into the mangrove. Here, you will see an extraordinary ecosystem where land meets sea. This 45-minute walk on the boardwalk will grant you the chance of enjoying the pleasant atmosphere of fresh air, while watching various kinds of birds, plants and wildlife.

The Kota Kinabalu Wetlands was initially the bird sanctuary of Kota Kinabalu in 1996 as it is a vital area of refuge and also feeding ground for various species of resident birds as well as the migratory birds from the Northern Asia. The more commonly seen birds at the wetlands are the Greenshank, Redshank, egrets, herons, collared kingfisher, stork-billed kingfisher and the sandpiper. As of today, as many as 80 species of birds have been sighted and identified at the sanctuary. There are also many other creatures that live in the wetlands. Among them are the butterflies, weaver ants, mudskippers, jellyfish, water snakes and mud lobsters.

Other than this self-guided walk, there are other activities that can be done here at the wetlands. There are also the Environmental Education programs, corporate programs and bird-watching session while you are here. With this many things to do at just one location, imagine what you can do in Sabah. Accommodations in Sabah are plentiful thus do not worry about not having a place to stay if you want to suddenly want to extend your stay here.

Transport

You can opt for a bus ride to get here. You will need to take the No.1 bus which goes towards Likas from the bus station in front of City Hall or Wawasan Plaza. After you reach Likas Square, turn right into the Signal Hill till you get to the third junction on the left.

For further information log on website :
http://sabah.attractionsinmalaysia.com/Kota-Kinabalu-Wetlands.php

Having Rare Species Puts Sabah on The Mangrove

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah can become a world centre for mangroves and one advantage in realising this is the recent discovery of an extremely rare mangrove tree species – Bruguiera hainesii – in one of the islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, off the State Capital.

"Having the tree here is equivalent to China having pandas," Singaporean plant scientist Prof Dr Jean Yong said.

"The tree species can become another exciting tourism attraction for Sabah."

He said he came to learn about the tree from one Wong Yun Yun, a Malaysia from Penang.

"I provided the scientific confirmation," he said.

The tree grows up to 35 metres, he said, adding that there is another rare species in the peninsula.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Bruguiera hainesii is very rare and has a limited and patchy distribution.

There are approximately 200 known mature individuals remaining in Singapore, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea, and there has been at least 27pc loss of mangrove area in this species range over a 25-year period (less than one generation length) due to extensive coastal development.

The international body has listed it as Critically Endangered.

Hence, he suggested that Sabah take the initiative to set up the world's first centre for mangrove tree species as there are 61 mangrove species in the world of which 53 are in Malaysia.

Dr Yong suggested that information about the existence of the tree in the State be promoted widely within the industry.

Dr Yong announced the discovery to participants in the Second International Symposium on Conservation and Management of Wetlands, Tuesday.

The two-day symposium's theme is "Wetlands: Connectivity, Corridors & Catchments that aims to identify new and innovative ways to conserve wetlands as well as to understand the scientific basis and importance of local stakeholders' involvement in conservation and management of wetlands.

According to Dr Yong, a former associate professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, a holistic approach must be applied in Wetlands conservation and management.

"Key to protecting wetlands is that you need integrated solutions, meaning you have to go from the terrestrial forests down to agriculture lands and coming through urban areas and going down to river.

"To keep mangroves you need to have the whole drainage pattern. That's fundamental," he said.

He also stressed that it is important for people to be aware that mangroves are not limited to the sea areas.

"There are three major types including fresh water mangroves," he said, adding Sabah has all three types.

The symposium was officiated by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun who announced that the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands may attain its RAMSAR status sometime next month, after a long wait.

Also present at the symposium's opening were Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society president Datuk Zainie Abdul Aucasa and organising chairperson Dr Rahimatsah Amat.

Various topics are covered in plenary sessions by local and international experts throughout the two-day symposium.

For further information log on website :
http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=113103

Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre
Map of East Malaysia
Location	Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Coordinates	5°59′08″N 116°05′12″ECoordinates: 5°59′08″N 116°05′12″E
Area	24 ha (59 acres)
Established	1986
www.sabahwetlands.org/society/?page_id=179

Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre is 24 hectares (59 acres) of the only remains of mangrove forest that once existed extensively along the coastal region of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Previously known as Likas Swamp or Likas Mangrove and later Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary, the Centre came foremost out of 20 wetlands selected by the Sabah Wetlands Inventory Committee in 1986.^[1]

The Centre is an important refuge and feeding ground for many species of resident birds, as well as several migratory bird species from Northern Asia. In addition, it is a breeding ground for marine life protected by the Fishery Department of Sabah.

Apart from providing shelter and food for both resident and migratory species of wildlife, wetlands also prevent salt build-up in surrounding freshwater supplies, stabilising sedimentation, storing nutrients and removing toxins.

Wildlife[edit]

Birds from around the globe, including non-breeding winter visitors, are commonly sighted at the sanctuary, especially during migratory season of Asian birds (i.e. Sept-April).

Common visitors

• Little egret, a winter visitor to Borneo;
• Striated heron, a winter visitor from the mainland of Asia;
• White-winged tern, a common migrant and winter visitor throughout Greater Sunda Islands
• Black-crowned night-heron, a non-breeding visitor to Sumatra and North Borneo;
• White-breasted waterhen, a common resident;
• Marsh sandpiper, a winter visitor from Siberia and China;
• Common moorhen, a common breeding bird in marshy environments and well-vegetated lakes outside Antarctica and Australasia;
• Cinnamon bittern, a breeding bird in tropical Asia, some northern birds migrate in short distances;
• Common redshank, a widespread breeding bird across Europe and northern Asia;

Rare sightings

• Lesser adjutant stork, a resident breeder in Southern Asia;
• Nankeen night heron

Year-round residents

• Crested myna
• Yellow-vented bulbul
• Yellow-bellied prinia
• Magpie robin
• Pacific swallow
• Spotted dove
• Collared kingfisher
• Purple heron
• Green pigeons

Other mangrove wildlife includes monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, mudskippers, weaver ants, butterflies and other insects, jellyfish, water snakes and mud lobsters.

References[edit]

1. Jump up^ WWF Malaysia, A City Oasis, 28 December 2006. WWF Malaysia website, retrieved 14 December 2008 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 February 2013. Retrieved 2008-12-14.

External links[edit]

• Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society
• Official website

For further details log on website :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kota_Kinabalu_Wetland_Centre

FOODS THAT DEFINE HARI RAYA FOR ME

When it comes to Hari Raya, both my parent families celebrate them quite differently. My dad for example, has quite a huge family members that even now I can't remember the names of all my uncles, aunts and cousins from my dad side; but when it comes to Hari Raya it was the numbers that made it extra fun to celebrate in my late grandparent house especially when I think about how much 'duit raya' I managed to get from all of them! When Eid came and it was my dad turn to celebrate the first day of it with his family side, we will be coming to Sg.Buloh the day before to help with food preparation.

image via: here

My late grandfather made the best 'Sup Kaki Lembu' or cow leg soup using the family secret recipe. I can feel how much dedication and love he had for us when I thought of the time he used to make it since it usually took him a few days to cook it to perfection. One of my favourite childhood memory during Hari Raya at my paternal grandparent home was watching my dad helping my grandfather cooking the soup. Now since they're not here in this world anymore, this food reminds me of the old days and always make me misses my late grandparent so much. Thankfully the family recipe was passed on and now during Hari Raya we make it a point to visit my aunt house just to have that taste that we miss.

image via: here

Then there is also my maternal grandmother 'Ketupat Daun Palas'. Its so good that sometimes we need to be quick to eat them because it tend to ran out so fast. Hari Raya won't be complete without eating her ketupat and no matter how much we tried nobody ever managed to successfully replicate the taste. Sometimes I help her to tie on the ketupat but I never managed tie it strong enough to make sure the water doesn't seep in while too much boiling. When she's gone in the future, I will definitely miss her and her delicious ketupat and I think Hari Raya would be much duller then.

image via: here

And lastly my mom's 'Lontong' especially when eating with her 'Sambal Tumis Ikan Bilis' which is my all time favourite! Not just for Hari Raya Aidilfitri I will also bug her every Hari Raya Qurban to make it for me. I usually got to eat it on those two occasions only, so the rest the year always got me craving for the food. There were also a few times when I didn't get to celebrate one of those occasion and missed out on her lontong. To make it even more special, the memories of helping my mom to prepare the ingredient and to cut all the veggies and my favourite 'tempeh' into small pieces for my mom while she prepares for other things for Hari Raya makes the dish even more important to me. 

I can eat lontong for breakfast, lunch and dinner during Hari Raya and I have actually done it before. Sometimes my brothers ask if I don't get sick of it and my simple reply would be, "Never!". I don't think I'll ever get bored of eating lontong even when its not Hari Raya. My mom usually refuse to cook lontong on normal days because she said I might eat too much of it. LOL! I can't fight on that because its true!

via: mymameechef

I guess many relates to my love for Lontong since Mamee Chef has now came out with a new flavour and guess what? Its #MameeChefLontong! I first wondered if the taste will be the same but Mamee Chef and Chef Ismail managed to make it very similar to the actual dish using his top secret paste. I guess after this, my cravings for lontong will be easily solved *dance of happiness*. The Mamee Chef noodles also goes 'boing-boing' due to Art of Mee Tarik they use to make it. Topped with condiments that also comes in the package, I can enjoy eating my love Lontong in just a matter of few minutes thanks to Mamee Chef.

For those who don't get Hari Raya leave day this year, try soothing your longing with #MameeChefLontong. At least having the taste that you miss will make the Hari Raya even more bearable. Gosh, writing about this makes me crave Lontong already. I'm going to make my #MameeChefLontong now, I hope my brothers won't bother me while eating. Hmm, should I eat in secret? LOL!

You can check out Mamee Chef Facebook Page to find out more about the new interesting product!

For further information log on website :
http://www.thethinkerbelle.com/2015/07/foods-that-define-hari-raya-for-me.html

6 Food Items Commonly Only Found in Ramadhan Bazaars

Author
ByRubaa Shunmuganathan

In case you haven’t realised, the holy month of Ramadhan is coming to an end soon. This Sunday, Muslims in Malaysia will complete their fasting month and usher in Hari Raya Aidilfitri in a grand manner. This happy occasion sees family and friends coming together to indulge on festive dishes like ketupat, lemang, and of course rendang.

However, Hari Raya Aidilfitri also means something else is coming to an end – Ramadhan bazaars. There’s no dispute that we Malaysians love our Ramadhan bazaars. The one-month long food market sells some of the best classic Malay dishes. Although most of the dishes sold can be found throughout the year in Malaysia, there are a few exceptional ones that are found exclusively only during Ramadhan, and difficult to find at any other time of the year. Here’s our list of these delectable dishes that come your way once a year.

1. Kuih Pelita

Kuih pelita, or also known as kuih tako, is a famous traditional Malay snack that has the perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness. Made of coconut milk, rice flour, and pandan (screwpine) leaves, the snack has two layers – the silky smooth white top layer and the springy green bottom layer. Both these contrasting textures complement each other wonderfully, making it a crowd’s favourite in Ramadhan bazaars. Although these delicious treats can be commonly found in certain villages, in the city they are hard to come by unless you visit a bazaar.

2. Kambing/Ayam Golek

Credit: KYTan / Shutterstock.com

If you’ve been to a bazaar during Ramadhan before, you’ve almost certainly seen stalls that sell rotisserie chickens or whole goat/lamb. Cooked on a makeshift charcoal grill or a regular open-air grill, the dish is basically grilled meat basted with spiced coconut milk gravy. Quintessentially a Malaysian dish, the meat is tender and in terms of flavour, it has the best balance of spiciness and sweetness. So if you’re someone who can’t handle spicy food, then kambing or ayam golek is probably the best dish for you to start training your taste buds with rich spices.

3. Onde-Onde

For those who’ve never eaten these little gems before, be prepared for a sweet burst of surprise when you bite into it. Also known as klepon, this is a traditional green-coloured ball of rice cake filled with liquid palm sugar and coated with grated coconut. It has a chewy and salty exterior but a sweet filling, making it quite an exciting eating experience.

Tip: In order to avoid spilling the sugar syrup all over yourself, it’s best to eat it in one go.

4. Kek Batik

Besides savoury dishes, Ramadhan bazaars also have an array of sweet treats to offer, and one of them is the kek batik.  It is believed that this cake is originated from Sarawak and it’s a must-have for many families in East Malaysia during the Hari Raya celebration. The name is derived from the batik-like pattern that you get when you slice into the cake. The reason why kek batik is so popular, aside from its delectable flavor, is that it is very easy to make and no baking is required. The basic ingredients to make this scrumptious treat include Marie biscuits, malt chocolate powder (think Milo), butter, and condensed milk.

5. Putu piring

Putu piring is another coveted Ramadhan bazaar snack. It’s basically a round, steamed rice cake filled with melted palm sugar and eaten with grated coconut, which adds a savoury punch to the sweet cake. Piring is the Malay word for saucer, probably a reference to the miniature plates that are used to cook the dish. Although the snack uses simple ingredients, it’s not the easiest to make as you need to get the right texture of flour before steaming it. If the flour is too wet, you’ll get a clumpy mess of rice flour with palm sugar, and if it’s too dry, then you’ll bite into something dry and unpleasant that crumbles immediately upon touch. Due to its complicated cooking method, putu piring is commonly found only in Ramadhan bazaars so do keep an eye for it the next time you visit one.

6. Assorted jellies

Credit: KYTan / Shutterstock.com

This is not particularly a Malay dessert, but in a Ramadhan bazaar, assorted jellies are highly in demand. Since it’s a popular appetiser during the fasting month, many people opt to buy it as it’s supposedly cooling for the body, apt for Malaysia’s hot and humid weather. Vendors usually sell more than 20 types of jellies and they get extremely creative with their offerings, ranging from impossible patterns and shades. Some of the popular flavours include caramel jelly, kole kacang, agar-agar mutiara and jagung.

So there you have it – six food items that typically can be found only in Ramadhan bazaars. So, head out now and get yourself these items, or you’ll have to wait for a year before sampling them again!

For further information log on website :

http://www.expatgo.com/my/2017/06/22/novelty-items-malaysian-twist/

7 Hari Raya Dishes You Can Make At Home This Festive

Author
ByKathleen Fernandez

Southeast Asia is home to some of the best cuisines in the world, and the food is relatively simple to cook up at home. In this editorial series, we bring you video tutorials and recipes on how to cook some Southeast Asian food at home.

Ramadan is almost over, and Hari Raya Aidilfitri is just around the corner. Whether you’re planning a family Raya dinner or if you just want to get into the spirit of things and celebrate this festive season with the whole country, here are some Raya staples that you might like to try whipping up in your own kitchen.

1. Nasi impit (compressed rice)

When you see Hari Raya decorations, do you notice the woven boxes hanging in bunches? That’s styled on ketupat, a traditional dish of rice cooked in a square case woven out of palm leaves. Decorative ketupats are made with ribbons, of course.

The shortcut to making ketupat, especially if you can’t get the hang of weaving the casings, is by making nasi impit instead. It tastes slightly different, but serves the same purpose.

Nyonya Cooking on Youtube has an easy tutorial you can follow:

2. Rendang daging (beef rendang)

Rendang daging is a staple at any Hari Raya open house in Malaysia. Usually made with beef, this dish requires lots of care and patience; you need to coax the flavours out of the many spices and cook it over a low heat to ensure that the beef turns out tender. The marriage of spices, lemongrass, lime leaves, and beef makes for a scrumptious accompaniment to nasi impit.

Most families have their own tried and tested recipe, all of them delicious. Here’s a recipe and tutorial from the Roti n Rice Youtube Channel, which you can follow at home to impress your friends and family this Raya:

3. Soto ayam (spicy chicken soup)

This spicy chicken soup dish originates from Indonesia and has, over time, become a popular dish served during Hari Raya in Malaysia. You can enjoy soto with either vermicelli or nasi impit, or if you’re trying to cut down on carbs, just as a soup on its own.

Preparation takes time and may seem daunting for just a bowl of soup, but trust me, it’s worth it. Check out the recipe and tutorial by Youtube’s Flavours of Asia here:

4. Pulut inti (glutinous rice with coconut)

Let’s start moving on from main dishes to snacks and small bites. Pulut inti is a small packet of glutinous rice steamed with coconut milk and topped with sweetened grated coconut.

Pulut inti makes a great a tea time snack, so this is perfect for those times when you have visitors throughout the day and it’s too early for dinner but too late for lunch.

Flavours of Asia has a quick and easy video for this recipe:

5. Tepung pelita (water chestnut snack)

Also known as kuih tako, this is a traditional kuih, or snack, that is a winning combination of sweet and savoury. Tepung pelita is very popular during this season and can be found in many Ramadan bazaars. Suitably, they sell like hot cakes. If you serve these up during Raya, they are guaranteed to be a hit.

Nyonya Cooking has a tutorial for making these goodies, which she calls kuih tako. This tutorial is in Malay but you can find the full written recipe in English over at Nyonya Cooking’s blog:

6. Bubur pulut hitam (black rice pudding)

In case you haven’t already noticed, pulut means glutinous rice. So this pudding is made out of unpolished grains of glutinous rice which are actually a very dark purple. The rice is cooked in coconut milk and flavoured with pandan and palm sugar, staple Malaysian ingredients.

This dessert is an interesting conversation starter and you can make your own by following this tutorial by UK Masterchef, Ping Coombes on the MalaysianKitchenUK Youtube channel:

7. Teh Tarik (pulled tea)

Obviously, teh tarik is a must-try in Malaysia all year long. This isn’t specifically a traditional Hari Raya dish but tea is quite commonly served to guests in many Malaysian households.

So why not take it up a notch for Raya and serve up some teh tarik?! Be careful though, hot tea splatters quite a bit when being ‘pulled’ or moved from one container to another.

Here’s a short tutorial by Nyonya Cooking on how to make this typical Malaysian drink:

RELATED ITEMS: HOW TO COOK & FOOD & DRINK

For further information log on website :
http://www.expatgo.com/my/2016/07/02/hari-raya-recipes/

8 Things You Should Know About Hari Raya Puasa

Author
Revathi Manogaran

It’s Hari Raya Puasa today! Our Muslim friends must be busy preparing a scrumptious and mouth-watering feast of Lontong, Ayam Masak Merah, Beef Rendang, Ketupat and Kueh. Yum!

But, apart from the delectable dishes Singaporeans get to taste during the joyful occasion, how much do we all really know about Hari Raya Puasa?

Here are 8 things that we should all know about the festival to join in the celebrations with our Muslim friends and neighbours.

Why is Hari Raya Puasa celebrated?

Hari Raya Puasa marks the end of a month of fasting for Muslims. It is a day of joyous celebrations. Some think that Hari Raya Puasa is the Muslim New Year but that is not true!

Just what exactly does ‘Ramadan’ mean?

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a month of fasting for Muslims. During fasting, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activities from dawn till dusk.

Ramadan is considered a very auspicious month in the Islamic calendar as it is believed that Prophet Mohammed received the first verses of the Qur’an during this month.

Why do Muslims fast?

Muslims fast to appreciate what God has bestowed upon them. Through fasting, they believe that one learns self-control and develops empathy towards what the poor undergo on a daily basis. Fasting is an important religious duty in Islam.

Hari Raya Puasa marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and is day of gratitude and celebrations.

What’s the difference between Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji?

While Hari Raya Puasa is a day for celebrating the end of the fasting month, Hari Raya Haji, which occurs usually about three months later, marks the end of the pilgrimage (Haj) Muslims make to the holy city of Mecca.

Hari Raya Haji is also widely referred to as the ‘day of sacrifice’ as Muslims believe that on this day, Prophet Ibrahim almost sacrificed his son, Ismail, in an act of obedience and reverence to God.

Muslims usually slaughter sheep and cows and feed the poor in remembrance of the Prophet’s sacrifice.

Families wear traditional clothes on the day of Hari Raya Puasa.

What happens on the day of Hari Raya Puasa?

Muslims wake up early, visit the mosque and thank God for the blessings they have in life. They also seek forgiveness from their elders and receive ‘green’ packets of money. While dressed in their best, people visit family and friends and dig into delicious food!

“It feels amazing when I put a morsel of Ayam Masak Merah in my mouth! It feels like the entire month of fasting was sooo worth it!” exclaims  Nisa Jumat, 24 – student.

What are the traditional clothes, worn on the day, called? 

You look out the window on the day of Hari Raya Puasa and see brightly clothed people flagging a cab down. You try and tell your other half what these beautifully tailored clothes are but can’t get the names right..

Let us tell you. Women usually either wear a Baju Kurong, Baju Kebaya or Jubah. Men wear the male version of a Baju Kurong together with a Kain Samping (a piece of cloth worn over the trouser of the Baju Kurong).

It is common to see men wear a songkok on their heads as well. It doesn’t really matter if you wear a Kebaya or Kurong – it is a matter of preference.

How should guests generally behave?

Most Muslims in Singapore do not expect guests to present gifts or cash. If guests insist on presenting something, then sweets, cookies or kueh are best and will be appreciated by most hosts!

Guests should also look out for what not to give.

Black is an avoidable colour. Wine, champagne or any other form of alcohol is an absolute no.

Additionally, non-Muslim guests are not expected to be dressed in traditional Malay clothes. However, it might please your hosts, if you made the effort.

Don’t have the time to shop for a Baju Kebaya or Jubah? Fret not! Wearing casual Western clothing is completely acceptable! However, keep in mind that the Muslim community here is quite modest.

So female readers, remember not to wear anything too revealing! If you’re not too sure about the dress code, just keep in mind that short skirts and cleavage baring tops are a no-no!

Before you dig into the yummy food, be sure to wish your friends ‘Selamat Hari Raya’.

What are the most common Hari Raya Puasa greetings?

Selamat Hari Raya is the traditional greeting used by Malay Muslims which means ‘Happy Hari Raya’ and ‘Maaf Zahir dan Batin’ which when translated loosely, means ‘ I seek forgiveness from you’.

A lot of Muslims also say ‘Eid Mubarak’ when they greet each other; the term has Arabic origins. ‘Eid Mubarak’ means ‘Happy Hari Raya’.

What else can you do to soak in the festive atmosphere?

Bear in mind that a lot of festivities happen during the days leading up to Hari Raya Puasa. The bazaars held at Geylang Serai are usually filled with rows and rows of stalls selling Hari Raya goodies, costume jewellery and outfits.

We wish everyone in Singapore, especially our Muslims friends, Selamat Hari Raya!

For further information log on website :
https://sg.theasianparent.com/the-outsiders-guide-to-hari-raya-puasa/