Sabah – News Flash

Disability Couldn’t Stop Her  

Sakinahtul Nabilah Bitis, Beel for short, can say that she has achieved her dream of becoming a successful businesswoman.  Only 31 years old, her T-shirt and souvenir printing business is counted among the top businesses in the country under the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) e-Usahawan programme.  What’s remarkable is that Beel has a disability wherein she cannot use her left arm after an accident in 2014.  During the #YouCanDuit Campaign Carnival at Kota Kinabalu last Saturday, she said that her disability was mainly the reason why she chose this line of business because it has minimal manual work.

Two months ago, together with a group of persons with disabilities, Beel participated in the e-Usahawan programme at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah where they learned about the power of photography, social media and the Internet in promoting their businesses.  Her income rose considerably within a month.

#YouCanDuit Campaign provides encouragement, support and linkages for Malaysians to be more active in the digital economy.

UiTM Tourism Students Have Bright Future

The Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) hotel and tourism management faculty and students launched the World Tourism Day 2016 celebration Tuesday with Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun.  In his speech, he said that UiTM students have something to look forward to after graduation because the tourism sector employs mostly locals as compared to other sectors.  He encouraged the students to make good in the English language since it will be to their advantage.  Sabah’s tourism industry is expected to continue its upward trend.  As of June this year, tourist arrivals from Europe and China have increased as compared to last year’s figures in the same period.

Promenade Hotel Honors Unsung Sabahan Heroes in Video

In commemoration of Malaysia Day, the Promenade Hotel in Kota Kinabalu produced two videos of Sabahans who made a difference in the lives of fellowmen by their great deeds.

The first honoree, Mohd Rizuan Kauhinin, a mountain guide, was at the right place at the right time during the quake in 2015 when he rescued quake victims trapped in the mountains.  He said that at that time, his natural instinct moved him to rescue as many victims as he can.

The second honoree is pastor Ginantar Balud and his Rumah Bakti Harapan in Inanam, a home that provides the basic needs plus additional training on how to become independent.  This was after he visited a family who had a disabled child locked in a hut at the back of their house.  The hotel will be donating the sale from luggage covers to Ginantar for a new building there.

Awards of Service for Catechists

In commemoration of the Extraordinary Year of Mercy, a Jubilee for Catechists was held last September 24 at the Sacred Heart Parish Centre and organized by the Catechetical Commission.  Over 300 catechists were given certificates of appreciation for having rendered services for at least 15 years in the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, with two catechists having served for 41 years.

Several activities were lined up for that day including a catechesis on the theme “The Merciful Gaze of Jesus”, group sharing on different topics, sharing of experiences on the life of a catechist and a concelebrated Mass presided by Archbishop John Wong.