Kadazan Bishop to comment on this in spiritual terms

Too much focus on Unduk Ngadau Published on: Friday, May 29, 2015 Email to a friend Printer Friendly Kota Kinabalu: A life member of the Kadazan Society of Sabah (KSS) feels there is too much emphasis on the Unduk Ngadau or beauty pageant rather than the true meaning of the Kaamatan (harvest) celebration. "If you look in KDCA, it's all about the Unduk Ngadau and nothing else. The focus is not there. What is the story of Huminodun? How was she sacrificed? For what was she sacrificed? Why is the Unduk Ngadau there?" asked Datuk Seri Dr Ghulam Mohd Sayeed. "Many of the Unduk Ngadau do not even know the Kadazan language," said Ghulam, who is of Turkish-Kadazan parentage. Speaking at the Sayfol International School Sabah's Harvest Festival celebration, Thursday, he said the Unduk Ngadau was to remember Huminodun every year and to thank the god of paddy for the harvest and thus celebrate it in Huminodun's memory. "Instead, the festival is about the Magavau ceremony where bobohizans (priestesses) gather together to chant in a ritual that lasts for seven days. "That ceremony of the bobohizan is the ceremony of the cracking of the paddy, that's what it's all about. "And to me the ancestors are watching what we are doing, the spirits are watching. So it is a respect to the ancestors and upkeep of the Kadazan traditions." He said the bobohizans would begin chanting after sunset and no words chanted would be repeated adding that the chants were used to evoke the spirits. Ghulam also said that many Kadazans now do not even know what the Sumazau, the Kadazan traditional dance, is about while many also have forgotten its sanctity and religious value. He said the dance arose from how the Kadazan people would thrash the paddy during the harvest where the movement of the feet signifies how one foot would hold the stalk while the other foot would crush the paddy to separate the paddy. "And then when you're doing that, there are many birds that come in to take away the paddy to eat, so what they do is put out their hands giving the feeling that they themselves are birds. "So when the birds see a bigger bird, they won't disturb and the pangkis (a war cry) they do is to drive the birds away. "That is the essence of the Sumazau dance. It's not just a dance that came from nowhere … it is the thrashing of the paddy that became a dance." He also said in the olden days, the Kadazan costume was made from the leaf of the sago plant due to the smoothness. The leaves, he said, allow the spirits to touch the wearer when they pass through the festival ceremony. Kadazan costumes now are made of velvet which he said also gives the same smooth feeling. "Of course, some people have taken to using batik (but) I protested at KSS, I also protested that at KDCA. "I said look, you're killing the tradition by getting into the batik style thing and not only are you killing the tradition; you're also killing people's income." Ghulam also said he has done a lot of research on Kadazan culture and belief and wholly believes that the Harvest Festival is the one and only religious ceremony of the Kadazan people. He said other celebrations such as Christmas and Hari Raya were adopted celebrations that came in due to intermarriages but the Harvest Festival is the festival of the Kadazan people and was the most sacred festival of the Kadazan. He said that the festival was not just for celebration but to appease the people's ancestors and not to forget their roots, beliefs and culture. Ghulam urged Kadazans to revive the language so that the culture and traditions may also be preserved. "What does a Kadazan father or mother in the house speak to their children now? Malay. That is not the language. You speak to them in Malay (outside) but you speak to them in Kadazan in the house (to) let them learn. "(Because) when that language is forgotten, everything goes, especially now with intermarriages." He said parents need to make their children aware of what the Kadazan culture is all about before teaching them other cultures. They should also ensure their children are fluent in English as it is very lacking among children, he said, adding that English was a neutral language that can be used to teach Kadazan culture and beliefs. He said he had begun efforts to help the Kadazan children five years ago by sending some of the English teachers from Sayfol to teach in the villages for free. To date, he said, the effort had helped over 600 children. The Sayfol Harvest Festival celebration had a variety of activities among of which were a Sumazau dance performance and Magavau performance by invited guests.

after life - yes - LOVE of God in Christ

http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/harvard-neurosurgeon-confirms-the-afterlife-exists/ God is LOVE. – The fabric of the afterlife was pure LOVE. Love dominated the afterlife to such a huge degree that the overall presence of evil was infinitesimally small. If you wish to know the Universe, know Love. - See more at: http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/harvard-neurosurgeon-confirms-the-afterlife-exists/#sthash.XM3uYjL2.dpuf

sixth Bishop today

First Kadazan to be made Anglican Bishop Published on: Tuesday, May 19, 2015 Daily Express Kota Kinabalu: A Kadazan clergyman will be installed as the first indigenous bishop to head the 90,000-strong Anglican community in the State under the Diocese of Sabah on Tuesday. Bishop Melter Jiki Tais who was actually appointed the bishop of the diocese on Feb 20 will be replacing the late Bishop Albert Vun who passed away on July 15 last year. The 50-year old Melter was born in Kampung Nangoh, Labuk and was ordained into the Anglican priesthood in 1993 and had served in various capacities in many parts of Sabah, including Priest-in-Charge of St. Margaret's Church in Keningau and St. Peter's Church in Tenom, Rector of St. Mark's Church in Lahad Datu and St. Luke's Mission District in Telupid. The father of four will be the Anglican Diocese of Sabah's sixth bishop and the first native of Sabah to be installed to the highest office in the church in Sabah. "I believe that God calls people at the right time. I need to seek clearer guidance from Him over what He wants me to do and not what I want to do. I believe there must be a purpose that God appointed me at this very particular time. "When a time comes when there is a need to speak up objectively and constructively to the government, then as a bishop I need to do that, to protect the rights of not only the indigenous Christians in Sabah and Sarawak but also in the whole country," he said. Due to the rising problem of certain groups trying to convert or entice Christians to their religions, Melter said he would hold discussions with leaders of the diocese on how to handle some of the issues and how to help the members who have been forced to embrace other religions. "There is no easy answer to it but definitely we will look into this matter. As we all know, under the Constitution, we have freedom of religion, that we are free to choose our own religion and express our worship. "But of course when it comes to practise, that is a problem. However as a church, we will continue to express our worship in ways that we feel it should be without allowing certain parties or quarters to dictate us how to express our faith to God," he said. Regarding the church's policies and what the Anglican community could expect during his tenure, for example women ordination, Melter said while other Anglican dioceses and provinces have decided to ordain women to the priesthood, the province of Southeast Asia has not taken the step yet. "For the time being, we are not ready yet. Whether we will be open to the idea or not, we do not know but the stance now is, we are not ready for it. In terms of the so-called same-sex marriage, we are totally against it. We do not allow for it to be carried out in the church," he said. The installation service will be held at the All Saints' Cathedral in Kota Kinabalu on Tuesday at 5pm. The service will be conducted by Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the Anglican Church in Southeast Asia Datuk Bolly Lapok who is also the Bishop of the Diocese of Kuching. He will be assisted by the Bishop of the Diocese of West Malaysia Datuk Ng Moon Hing and the Bishop of the Diocese of Singapore Rennis Ponniah. About 1,500 people are expected to attend the service which will be followed immediately by a thanksgiving dinner at 8pm at the Hakka Association Hall. BORNEO POST Home - News - Sabah First local Anglican Bishop to be installed today Posted on May 19, 2015, Tuesday Share this: Facebook Share Email KOTA KINABALU: The Right Reverend Melter bin Jiki Tais will be officially installed as the sixth Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Sabah today (May 19), the first native of the Kadazan community in Sabah to be installed to the highest office in the diocese. The installation service will be held at the All Saints’ Cathedral here at 5 pm today, where 1,500 people are expected to attend. Melter was appointed as the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the State on February 20 this year, after his predecessor, Rt Rev. Datuk Albert Vun Cheong Fui passed away on July 15, 2014. On his vision for the diocese, Melter said that he believed there was a reason and purpose for God to call him to be the first bumiputera Kadazan Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Sabah at this particular time. “My vision is supposed to be the vision of the Lord. I really need to seek clearer guidance from God on what He wants me to do, not so much on what I want to do.” Having said that, Melter acknowledged that there have been many issues affecting the Christian churches in Malaysia today. In West Malaysia, for example, many Christians are either Chinese or Indian, he said. “When we open our mouth to say something, sometimes they tell (Christians in Peninsular Malaysia) to go back to China or India. So I believe there must be a purpose that God appoints me at this particular time, a time that if there is a need to speak up objectively and constructively to the government, then as a Bishop, I need to say that to protect the rights of not only natives or indigenous Christians in Sabah and Sarawak, but also the rights of Christians in Malaysia as a whole,” he said, at a press conference here yesterday. On a similar note, Melter said, he would discuss with his fellow clergy and leaders of the Anglican Diocese, including members of the diocese standing committee, on how to handle issues like Islamization, and how to help Christian members in the interior who were so-called forced to embrace the other religion without their consent. “There is no easy answer to it, but we will definitely look into this matter.” When asked about his views on the extent of freedom of religion in Malaysia, Melter said, the freedom of religion and freedom to express one’s worship are enshrined in the Federal Constitution. “When it comes to practice, that is the problem. As a church, we will continue to express our worship to God in a way we feel it should be without allowing certain parties or quarters to dictate us how to express our faith in God.” Nonetheless, Melter said, the Anglican Diocese of Sabah would seek to establish good relationship with the government without compromising its biblical stand for the well-being of the city and State. On other matters, Melter said, the Anglican Diocese in the Province of South East Asia is not ready for the ordination of women yet. He added that the Anglican churches were also against same sex marriage. “We totally oppose it (same sex marriage). We do not allow it to happen in our churches.” At present, there are more than 26,000 active members who attend Sunday service at Anglican churches throughout Sabah every week, while the total number of Anglicans in Sabah is expected to be around 90,000. The installation service today will be conducted by the Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia, the Most Reverend Datuk Bolly Lapok, who is also the Bishop of the Diocese of Kuching. Bolly will be assisted by the Bishop of the Diocese of West Malaysia, The Right Reverend Datuk Ng Moon Hing, and the Bishop of the Diocese of Singapore, The Right Reverend Rennis Ponniah. The service will start at 5 pm followed by a thanksgiving dinner at 8 pm at the Hakka Hall, off Tanjung Lipat. Melter was born in Kampung Nangoh, Labuk in 1965. He is presently serving as the Assistant Bishop cum Vicar-General of the Diocese of Sabah. He was called to God’s service and began his ministry as a parish worker in 1988 and was subsequently ordained into priesthood in 1993. As a priest, he has served in various capacities in many parts of Sabah, including Priest-in-Charge of St Margaret’s Church in Keningau and St Peter’s Church in Tenom, Rector of St Mark’s Church, Lahad Datu and Rector of St Luke’s Mission District, Telupid. He was collated as a Canon of All Saints’ Cathedral in 2006 and appointed as Archdeacon of the Central Archdeaconry in 2007. On August 14, 2009, he was consecrated as a Bishop and appointed as the Assistant Bishop of Sabah. Melter is married to Angeline Wong Moi Yin, and together they have four children. He created history by being the first native of Sabah from the Kadazan community to be consecrated as a Bishop of the Anglican Church of Sabah in 2009. His installation of the Bishop of the Anglican Church of Sabah will be another first, being the first native of Sabah to be installed to highest office. The Anglican Church in Sabah began as a chaplaincy work in Borneo in the late 19th century among the then European expatriates. Its first church was established in the Federal Territory of Labuan in 1855. The work expanded to include the Hakka Chinese from China and Hong Kong. Later, mission work was initiated among the natives of Sabah. It was only in 1962 that the Diocese of Borneo, as it was known then, was divided into the Diocese of Kuching and the Diocese of Jesselton, now known as the Diocese of Sabah. Today, the Diocese of Sabah has more than 120 parishes, churches and worship centres all over the State with mission work in the northern part of Kalimantan, Indonesia and in Thailand. Also present were dean of All Saints’ Cathedral, Chak Sen Fen; diocesan treasurer of the Diocese of Sabah, Michael Tong; diocesan chancellor, Datuk Stephen Foo; Assistant Bishop, John Yeo, and standing committee members, Canon Lidis Singkung and Roland Ng. Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/05/19/first-local-anglican-bishop-to-be-installed-today/#ixzz3aXcrJp5M

19 May Installation Service of New Diocesan Bishop of Sabah no. 6.

The disturbing question is:- You are succeeding someone in disturbing scenario Is AVCF really DEAD or he had just absconded? Have you seen his full medical report? Have your seen his Dead certificate? Why the coffin closed all the way during the funeral service? Why was he preaching at his funeral service, if he is really dead and No RIP? Was the coffin heavy laden? Where is his "final resting place" and under heavy double doors and locks? I call for FULL investigation.

The time "bomb" of the 6th (sick) Bishop....from 19 May 2015

I let any reader to fill up this page... The VC was appointed 6th Bishop in December, 2014 must have in place a high power Anglican Restoration and Truth Committee (ARTC) or ARESTTRUTH to resolve so many important matters that had happened 2005/2006 - 2014 and in this post I would list out some of the urgent items for proper action ----- 1. Many Police Reports would have to be made in those years of AVCF, but not done and who are guilty? Is AVCF guilty? 2. There was an alleged child rape by a "MAN" of God but the Dean AVCF did not make a Police Report. Who was the rapist? Don't find a scapegoat. 3. Properties were lost in the Deanery for an illegal occupation and yet no theft report was made. Why? 4. A false Police Report was promptly made against me for a petty item and yet the important ones for CRIMES were ignored. 5. Outsiders intruded in the All Saints Cathedral during certain services and event and yet no Police Reports were made meaning AVCF was behind such intrusion. 6. What happened to the Police Report over a grafitti incident in Indah Anglican Church? Did AVCF followed up with this Police investigation? 7. The new Bishop must open an investigation why Archdeacon Moses Chin was "demoted" to determine why Moses was "demoted"? Failing this he must be re-instated as the Archdeacon. 8. Make sure he complies with the decisions of the Appeal court over the Archbishop Bolly to set up the E-Court and release the PAC report and recommendation over 40 matters on AVCF. The issue of "non-legal-entity" is a thorn in Anglican Province and ADOS.. 9. What happen to all the assets registered in the name of AVCF ? 10. Have a review of all the assets of ADOS and to be properly done. 11. Make sure 6th Bishop of Sabah is legally appointment as the Bishop of Sabah (Registered Trustee). 12. Update the ADOS Constitution to reflect legality and transparency and no delegated trusteeship to others. 13. ADOS must appoint a honorary auditor, and not a paid auditor. 14. The case of the sudden departure of AVCF must be fully investigated and first get the medical certificate from the Singapore's clinic of DR Kong, then the DEATH certificate..including a declaration to re-open the coffin. (more to come)...

Stephen Foo must resign from Diocesan Chancellor

Dear Anglicans, Stephen Foo came out with a disgusting article on 6th March, 2014 in Daily Express when the Court case was still in progress. Now the said case went through the Appeal Court with a decision against Anglican Province in SEA on 23 May, 2014, Stephen Foo did not come out with another article or did he? Then Bolly appealled against the Court of Appeal's decision by Ronny C. with an application to Federal Court but then withdrawn by same lawyer on 24th November, 2014. Today is 2nd May, 2015 and has Stephen come out with another press article on the same case? Please clarify . Thank you., Joshua Kong http://thetrutheng.com/2015/04/21/house-of-bishop-finally-paid-up/