Liew (second left) presenting Sabah’s promotional material to Zakri. Looking on from left are Mohd Yusrie, Joniston and Phillipps.
LONDON (March 14): Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK, Dato’ Zakri Jaafar supports Sabah’s new destination branding – Feel Sabah, North Borneo – which was launched by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minisyer Datuk Christina Liew at the ITB Berlin 2023 in Berlin, Germany, recently.
At the dinner meeting hosted by Liew here on March 11, Zakri described the brand as catchy, saying it might bring the nostalgic people (in the UK) to North Borneo (now Sabah).
“Maybe they know North Borneo more than they know Sabah,” he added.
The High Commissioner, however, expressed his view that there is also a need to accentuate the fact that Sabah is part of Malaysia, and will always be there.
“With this, there will be no other question about where Sabah belongs,” Zakri added.
Asked on the role played by the High Commission of Malaysia, London, in wooing more British nationals to travel to Sabah, he said his Office has always been working with Tourism Malaysia to promote the whole of Malaysia, in particular the Borneo part (that is, Sabah and Sarawak).
“This is because these two states are the areas that can offer the things tourists from here (UK) are looking for. Eco-tourism, this is a new sector that people from this part of the world are really looking forward to,” the High Commissioner explained.
Eco-tourism in Borneo can even become a preferred choice not only for individual travellers but also for families, according to Zakri.
“That’s how we (High Commission of Malaysia, London), together with Tourism Malaysia, are promoting Borneo,” he said.
Also present were Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Datuk Mohd Yusrie Abdullah and members of the Sabah delegation.
Meanwhile, ecologist Quentin Phillipps, who attended the dinner with his wife Honor, presented two of his books to the minister – The Third Edition of Phillipps’ Field Guide To The Birds of Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei & Kalimantan), and the Second Edition of Phillipps Field Guide To The Mammals of Borneo And Their Ecology.
“Each book is at least two years’ work, with illustrations by my sister Karen,” said the 72-year-old author who has been interested in the wildlife and natural history of Sabah from a young age.
The books list out all 673 Borneo bird species, including 61 Borneo endemics, Borneo’s top 90 birding sites and 16 orangutan watching sites in Borneo.
On why birds fascinate him, Quentin said there is always something interesting going on to understand how they live and survive in a very difficult environment.
“Everything is out to kill the birds. They eat them, some birds are eager to eat other birds. And all the animals, cats and whatever, are trying to catch the birds.”
In response to a question from Liew who wanted to know more about his fig planting projects in Sabah, Phillipps, who resides at Ealing, West London, said figs are the most important trees in the forests for wildlife.
“So if you want to attract wildlife for tourism or whatever purpose, you need to plant lots of fig trees. When these trees are fruiting, they will attract all the wildlife in the forests,” he shared.
“So I am helping several projects now in Sabah to plant fig trees.”
The minister was glad to learn that from July this year, Phillipps will spend about a month visiting the Tawau Hills Park, Kalabakan and Tabin Wildlife Reserve on his fig planting mission.
“I wish him all the best in his endeavour,” she said.
Born in Sandakan, the ecologist has been living between Sabah and the UK (after his university days in England) until the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I couldn’t travel for three years. I am going back to Sabah this year,” enthused Phillipps, who has spent at least 30 years in Borneo.