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#406
06-01-2006, 10:25 PM
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Norwegian who hunted Bigfoot for over 20 years
Report from The New Strais Times dated Friday 6 January 2006 :-
Norwegian who hunted Bigfoot for over 20 years By Shahrum Sayuthi BANDAR MUADZAM SHAH, Jan 5: ------------------------------- Interest in the "Bigfoot" phenomenon is not new to Felda settler Abdul Hamid Wahab, 57. He and a Norwegian scientist spent almost three decades searching for the elusive creature in several forested areas in Pahang and Johor from the early 1970s to the end of the 1990s. "I first met Professor Immanuel Vigeland, who was then in his 60s, when he came to my village in Kampung Mempelas in 1972," Hamid said, when met at his home in Felda Chini 2 near here today. "The professor was at that time on one of his expeditions into the jungle here and had stopped at my village for a friend’s wedding." Hamid said Vigeland, who spoke fluent Malay, became his close friend and regularly visited his home. Almost all the time, he would ask Hamid to accompany him into the jungle. "He said he was impressed with my knowledge of the jungle." The marine biologist, who was conducting shipping-related research in Tanjung Pagar, Singapore, was an avid environmentalist who spent his free time studying local flora and fauna. His enviromental work had been highlighted several times by the New Straits Times and the Norwegian media during his stay here. "But his actual passion was finding this creature which the newspapers in the past few weeks have been calling Bigfoot," said Hamid, who became a Felda settler in 1982. "Every time there was talk of a sighting, my friend would get me to accompany him into the jungle in that area." Vigeland had started his search for Bigfoot much earlier, soon after he came to Singapore in 1958. In 1976, he set up a biological research field station in Kota Tinggi with the help of Universiti Malaya and hired Hamid as his assistant. This was the same area where Bigfoot was said to have been sighted recently. "Rumours about the existence of the giant hairy creature were also heard in that area, with several Orang Asli claiming that they had seen it in the jungles at Gunung Panti, Gunung Muntaha and Gunung Sisek," said Hamid. "The two of us spent many days in the jungle in the hope of running into it but luck was never on our side. We never even got to see the creature’s footprints." The duo spent so much time in the jungle, especially around Gunung Panti, that the Orang Asli community there nicknamed Vigeland "Orang Putih Gunung Panti" (the white man of Gunung Panti). Hamid quit his job at the research station in 1982 to join a Felda land scheme but this did not end the duo’s quest. Vigeland moved his shipping-related research to Kuantan port in 1989 and the two friends resumed their sojourns into the dense Pahang jungles whenever they heard stories of Bigfoot. Hamid said Vigeland even resorted to employing a famous bomoh from Jerantut to track down the creature after a report that it had been sighted at the National Park in Kuala Tembeling. "Honestly, I am more of a sceptic but Vigeland never wavered in his belief that the creature exists. He kept on saying that we must find it or prove it doesn’t exist." Their last expedition in search of the creature was in 1998 in the same National Park area. Shortly after that, Vigeland, who remained a bachelor, fell ill and returned to Oslo to recuperate. He never came back. Hamid spent two months at his friend’s house in the Norwegian capital in 1990 and last spoke to him over the telephone in 2000. "I wanted to call him later on but I couldn’t afford the cost of the phone call," said the father of 10. "My friend would definitely be excited about all this talk of Bigfoot if he’s still around." 
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#407
07-01-2006, 02:04 PM
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Re: Samster Gathering JB
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#408
07-01-2006, 09:13 PM
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Samster Gathering JB
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Why don't you contribute something to this thread, instead of waiting for others to contribute and then start reading them ?????
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#409
07-01-2006, 09:19 PM
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Bigfoot may be prehistoric ape
Report from The STAR dated Saturday 7 January 2006 :-
Bigfoot may be prehistoric ape By Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa COULD Bigfoot, believed to have been spotted in the jungles of Johor, actually be a prehistoric animal which had gone extinct hundreds of thousand of years ago? Based on the BigfootGiganto theory, researchers claimed that Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, Yeti or Mawas was probably a prehistoric giant ape, which lived during the Middle or Pleistocene age. The animal is believed to have lived in several parts of Asia including China and South-East Asia, as well as in North America before facing extinction some 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. The question of whether Bigfoot was a prehistoric animal has long been discussed by researchers from across the world, but until now, they have failed to reach a definite answer. This raises questions of whether the Bigfoot sightings by several individuals, including orang asli villagers, in the 248-million-year-old Endau-Rompin National Park may be that of the remnants of the Gigantopithecus Blacki (or giant ape in Latin) species. Gigantopithecus and Bigfoot have similar physical traits. According to the orang asli, the giant animal, said to be 3m tall and having a brown hairy body, has been sighted in several jungle spots in Johor. Several animal species believed to have become extinct were later found to exist. For example, the Coelacanth fish, known to have existed 360 million years ago, was caught by fishermen in 1938. According to US-based Bigfoot Field Research Organisation (BFRO), researchers generally accepted the BigfootGiganto theory. BFRO, which claims to be the most credible Bigfoot research organisation on its website, said the Gigantopithecus theory had caught the interest of many anthropologists and primatologists. Johor National Park Corporation (JNPC) director Hashim Yusof, said the possibility was there, given the park’s huge space and age. Photo of the 40cm to 50cm footprint of a creature believed to be Bigfoot discovered in Mawai, Kota Tinggi. “The Endau-Rompin National Park covers 800 sq km and is 248 million years old. We have information on only half of the flora and fauna in it,” he said. Recently, JNPC organised a one-day expedition in the park to track Bigfoot but failed to find any traces such as footprints. Hashim said that JNPC would organise a week-long expedition next month. Meanwhile, Johor environmentalist Vincent Chow said the theory that Bigfoot could be a remnant of the Gigantopithecus Blacki species might be accurate. He said the theory had grounds as it was based on findings of experts in anthropology and related fields. Chow said the Endau-Rompin National Park’s age matched the era of Gigantopithecus. The virgin forest of the national park is also a conducive habitat for the giant animal. “Bigfoot should be protected and regarded as a state heritage,” he said. – Bernama
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#410
09-01-2006, 01:45 AM
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Bigfoot sighted in village in 1900s
Report from The New Sunday Times dated 8 Janaury 2006 :-
Bigfoot sighted in village in 1900s KOTA TINGGI, Jan 7: -------------------- More documented information about the Bigfoot of Johor has come to light in the wake of renewed interest in the Malaysian equivalent of the abominable snowman. The annals of Kampung Mawai, compiled by generations of headmen at the village, talk of the existence of the creature. The Sejarah Mawai Lama Sebelum dan Selepas Perang Dunia Ke-2 relates how the pioneer settlers of the village named it "Mawai" after seeing hairy creatures which they referred to as "Mawas". Biodiversity researcher Vincent Chow said a group of explorers from Jambi in Indonesia had, in the early 1900s, encountered the hairy creatures where the village now stands. Their leader, Mohamad Jambi, related that the creature took refuge under a palm tree called daun payung when it rained. Mohamad Jambi, who was later made the penghulu of Mukim Ulu Sedili by Sultan Ibrahim, decided to build a village using the daun payung and named it Kampung Mawas. Over time, it became known as Kampung Mawai. According to the historical account, villagers who went to collect rattan along rivers deep in the jungle often sighted the creatures. The villagers had observed that the creature always dwelt near rivers or streams where it hunted mouse deer and jungle fowl. They also observed that the Mawas would bring food to water to wash off the blood. Meanwhile, Chow said he was contacted yesterday by the Korean Broadcasting Agency which expressed interest in doing a documentary on Bigfoot. "I will be forwarding this message to State Tourism and Environment Committee chairman Freddie Long." Interest in Bigfoot was sparked when three workers building a fish pond in the village claimed they had seen a family of two adults and a child. A member of the Johor Malaysian Nature Society carrying out a fish survey nearby took photographs of the footprints measuring about 45cm long besides observing that the creature was about three metres tall. Earlier the Singapore media, British Broadcasting Corporation and Reuters had shown interest in the Bigfoot sightings and efforts to track the creature. In Muar last night, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek urged the Johor Government to solve the mystery of the Bigfoot sightings. He said the recent sightings, which were given wide publicity in the media, would boost Johor’s tourism industry. Dr Chua said he used to receive numerous reports of Bigfoot sightings.
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#411
09-01-2006, 05:28 PM
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Re: Samster Gathering JB
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#412
09-01-2006, 09:29 PM
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Welcoming Malaysian Datuk to JB Samsters' Gathering on 20/1/06
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Hopefully we can eat seafood dinner and drink kopi together on Friday 20 January 2006 at Restoran Khye Cheang, Stulang Laut. Can you please confirm your attendance so that we can prepare the ' red carpet welcome ' for you accompanied by kompang and drums ?
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#414
10-01-2006, 04:59 PM
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Johor goes on charm offensive
Report from The New Strais Times dated Tuesday 10 January 2006 :-
Johor goes on charm offensive By Ravi Nambiar SINGAPORE, Jan 9: ------------------ Johor today went on a charm offensive to woo Singaporeans, an estimated one million of whom shied away from the State last year for fear of crime. State officials told travel industry representatives here that Johor was not only safe to visit but still offered among the best options for Singaporeans looking for a quick holiday away from home. "I do not deny there have been incidences of crime by drug addicts, illegal immigrants and other criminals," state executive councillor Freddy Long said after a closed-door dialogue with members of the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (Natas) here. "But Singaporeans are not being targeted as depicted by the media here. It is only a perception. Come and see for yourselves." The dialogue was part of the Johor Mini Mart held at a hotel here to match some 100 Singapore travel industry buyers with 50-odd Johor tourism product owners. The dialogue, attended by 11 heads of Johor security departments and agencies, included state CID chief Superintendent Abd Manaf Abd Razak, Immigration Department assistant enforcement chief Mohd Jasmi Juwahir and Customs director Datuk Sarmin Md Hussin. Also present were representatives from the Road Transport Department, Tourism Ministry, Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board, Johor Tourism Action Council and Johor National Parks Corporation. Long, who heads the state Tourism and Environment portfolio, said Natas had offered to help Johor repair the damage caused by the negative Singapore media reports by mounting an "image rebuilding" exercise. "They will package Johor in their tour programmes," he said. He also said the reported drop in Singaporean visitors last year was not solely due to apprehensions about crime. He said traffic snarls on the Causeway and the Second Link, especially on weekends and public holidays, were contributing factors. Yet another reason, he said, was Johor Baru’s 2am closing time for night spots to curb crime and drug abuse. New tourist attractions in neighbouring Batam and other Indonesian islands, he noted, had also drawn some Singaporeans away from Johor. During the first 10 months of last year, there were 9.3 million visitors compared to 12.3 million for the whole of 2004. But with Johor registering an average of one million visitors from Singapore every month, the total estimated number for 2005 was expected to be 11.3 million — a shortfall of one million over 2004. Long, however, pointed out that Singapore visitors to the country as a whole was on the upswing. "This shows a very healthy trend and is proof that Singaporeans have no qualms about visiting the country," he said. Long urged Singapore and Johor tourism industry players to work together to promote the region, pointing out that what was needed was concerted efforts and not "one-upmanship". "The Bali bombings and other recent incidents have clearly shown us that we cannot stand alone in this industry, particularly Singapore and Johor, which are so close to each other," he said. "The media can also play a positive role here. When you pick on one destination and write negative reports based on some isolated incidents, this does not bode well for the region as a whole. "You must remember, 23,500 Singaporeans go to Johor Baru every day, and the vast majority do not have problems with crime."
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#415
10-01-2006, 05:06 PM
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Re: Samster Gathering JB
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__________________
A sucker for Juicy SweetMILF.... Vietnamese Wife in Singapore Foreigner Wife's matter. Need Info on PRC Visa etc
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#416
10-01-2006, 08:24 PM
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Re: Samster Gathering JB
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Can include me??? 
__________________
Ma sao khong the tha thu cho nhau mot lan
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#417
11-01-2006, 12:23 AM
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AirAsia's JB-Ipoh flight service before Chinese New Year well-received
Report from The New Strais Times dated Tuesday 10 January 2006 :-
AirAsia's JB-Ipoh flight service before Chinese New Year well-received By Jaspal Singh IPOH, Tues: ----------- LOW-COST carrier AirAsia's decision to start its flight service between Ipoh and Johor Baru before the Chinese New Year has been well-received by businessmen, students and tourism associations. Those interviewed by NST said the move by the airline to start the service on Jan 24 instead of Feb 6 was timely and practical. Cameron Highlands Tourists Development Association president Datuk Yee Shan Kon said the move to fly earlier would help increase tourist arrivals at the highlands. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hopefully with the commencement of the JB-Ipoh-JB flights we will see more "Ipoh mali" girls working in JB's HCs and MPs
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#418
11-01-2006, 12:00 PM
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‘Johor safe for Singaporeans’
Report from The New Straits Times dated Wednesday 11 January 2006 :-
‘Johor safe for Singaporeans’ By Ravi Nambiar JOHOR BARU, Tues ------------------ It is safe for Singaporeans to visit Johor. This was the message Johor officials had for Singapore travel industry representatives yesterday. They were also assured that police would increase their presence on main streets. In addition, a closed-circuit TV surveillance system is also being set up in busy areas of the city. Addressing the 100-odd representatives during the Johor Mini Mart, state officials presented statistics to prove that crime against Singaporeans here was on the decline. A series of high-profile attacks on Singaporeans in Johor made newspaper headlines recently. Last month, all newspapers went to town with a story about a 20- year-old Singaporean who was attacked with a parang in a back alley in Jalan Wong Ah Fook. The New Paper has also been running special reports on "Singapore victims of crimes in JB". In its Saturday edition, it claimed there had been three car thefts, an attempted robbery, an attempted carjacking and one break-in in the past month alone. State executive councillor Freddy Long, while acknowledging the problem, said negative media reports did not always tell the true story. "They create this perception that JB is crime-infested. But it is only a perception. You have to come and see if this is true," he said. Referring to Singapore Press reports on an 11-year-old girl who was molested in Orchard Road recently, he said: "Are you telling me Orchard Road is not safe because of what the media depicted? Surely, this cannot be true." Long welcomed Singaporeans to Johor, but warned they would only be courting trouble if they behaved like " heroes " and walked into back alleys or dark, secluded spots alone in search of their favourite nightspots or food stalls. However, Long and Superintendent Abdul Manaf Abdul Razak of the Johor serious crimes division assured Singaporeans that police would investigate all reports. Figures show that 7.06 million Singaporeans entered Johor in the first 10 months of last year, a decline of 14.8 per cent over the same period in 2004. The decline amounted to an estimated loss of RM225 million in tourist spending in the State. An average of 23,500 Singaporeans visit Johor daily.
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#419
15-01-2006, 01:33 PM
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Scary encounter with ‘Hantu Buta’
Report from The New Sunday Times dated 15 January 2006 :-
Scary encounter with ‘Hantu Buta’ By Lydia Gomez KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14: ---------------------- A senior government servant recalled the day she saw a huge, hairy creature in a rubber estate in Muar 45 years ago. Rohidah Bejo, 51, could not say for sure whether this was the creature they called Bigfoot, but it was as tall as a rubber tree. She said this happened one morning in 1960 when she followed her rubber- tapper mother to work in an estate. Not wanting to disturb her mother, the youngster, who was then five, made herself comfortable under a rubber tree. Just as her mother was done, Rohidah felt a strange presence beside her, huge, hairy and ape-like. "The creature approached me. It was as tall as a rubber tree and had red eyes and bronze hair. It stayed put beside me for five minutes," Rohidah said. She did the only thing that came to her frightened mind: Close her eyes tight and scream at the top of her lungs. "It was a very heavy creature," she said here yesterday. "I heard the thumping of its feet as it ran away. I do not remember seeing any footsteps, though." The next thing she knew was her mother hugging her. She grew up in Kampung Parit Pinang Seribu, a small village 3km from the plantation and 8km from Muar. It was a place where unusual sightings were the norm, including that of tigers, large snakes and "soft beings". "Many of my neighbours and relatives used to talk of seeing ghosts," she said. "So when I described this creature, it did not take long for them to identify it as ‘ Hantu Buta ’. "However, people were not interested in this creature and ignored it." She said the creature on that day 45 years ago was just curious and would not have harmed her. On reports of Bigfoot sightings in Johor, she said: "I believe this is a kind of animal. Maybe their number has gone down over the years." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rangers: We have seen footprints ROMPIN, Jan 14: Many people are sceptical about the existence of " Bigfoot ", but not some who frequent the dense forests of Pahang. While no one has come up with solid evidence, the believers claim proof can be found if a massive operation is launched to trace the elusive creature. "I believe the giant ape exists as I have seen its footprints," said Forestry Department staff Rosli Latiff. The 38-year-old ranger said the distinctive impressions, believed to be Bigfoot’s footprints, could be seen on the sandstone on top of Padang Tujuh hill in the Endau-Rompin National Park. He said many people, including foreigners, had visited the area to see the footprints and one of them photographed the animal in 1986. He said fresh footprints, about 40cm long, were hard to find but one would get a better chance to see them when the jungles were soaked in rain water. The chances are higher if the area has a lot of Pokok Sang (broad-leaf palms), which is believed to be used by Bigfoot as shelter. "Many Orang Asli who collect forest produce in the Endau-Rompin area have stumbled upon the animal in such areas. They called it ‘Hantu Gigi Jarang’ (snaggled-tooth ghost) or ‘ Mawas’ ." Musa Rezali, 43, said there were many fresh footprints of a Bigfoot in Bukit Ibam, about 50km from the National Park, in the 1980s. "The footprints can also be seen near the villagers’ houses," said ranger Musa, who was based in Bukit Ibam at that time.
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#420
16-01-2006, 03:11 PM
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Re: Samster Gathering JB
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