Sabah News Flash

NIOSH Branch Office at Tawau to Open Next Year

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is planning to open a branch office at Tawau which is expected to be operational by next year.  Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, NIOSH chairman, said the Tawau office will be an addition to their offices in Sabah and in Sandakan district and the location and contractor for renovation works have been identified already.  NIOSH Sabah manager Mohd Hussin Abdul Salam added that the Tawau office can serve the companies in that district, even those that will be involved in the Pan Borneo Highway project

Safety Awareness Programs in the Workplace and Schools

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is calling on employers to ihave road safety awareness programmes in their organizations.  This was suggested by Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, NIOSH chairman, as commuting accidents rose over the past five years by 18.6%.  These accidents usually involved motorcycles with their riders failing to focus on the road.  He added that employers could tap NIOSH to assist them in conducting these awareness programmes.

Furthermore, NIOSH had also suggested to the education ministry the organizing of occupational safety and health (OSH) clubs in schools.  In this way, students will be made aware of the importance of OSH and will easily put it into practice when in the workplace already.

He also announced that the NIOSH certification services can be availed of at Kota Kinabalu for ISO certifications and Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems certifications.

Malaysia Airlines Expands in China

Malaysia Airlines launched new routes to China as part of its expansion plans for the next five years.  There will be eight new destinations, 11 new routes and 35 additional frequencies to start in the beginning of the year.  This announcement was made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak who is currently in China on official visit.  The purpose of these routes are to attract more tourists and enhance business relations of both countries.

Peter Bellew, Malaysia Airlines’ Chief Executive Officer, said that future plans of the company always include China because of the upward trend of Chinese tourists influx mostly due to cultural affiliations.  Seven new routes are from Kota Kinabalu to different destinations in China.

Visit Tambunan 2017 Launched

Tambunan district is located in the highlands interior of Sabah, surrounded by rice fields, composed of about 70 villages and home to the ethnic Dusun.   During the launching of Visit Tambunan 2017 Wednesday night, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said that the Sabah Government still believes that the tourism sector is an indirect way to economic development.  The event is a very good example for tourism promotions and it is very timely due to the fact that Tambunan has the major characteristics of being a famous tourist destination – natural tourist attractions and the rich culture of the people.

Furthermore, Musa said that the State Government, through the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC), is setting its sights on the development of key sectors of society, including the tourism sector, for economic growth that is strong and sustainable and he is calling all parties to do their share to achieve the goals.