Covid 19

Sarawak and Sabah were a population more vulnerable to the pandemic than the rest of Malaysia but the death rate was much lower in the two east coast states. doi.org/10.1007/s44155-024-00068-2

Orangutan

There are differences between the Sumatran and Borneo Orangutans who split genetically from each other during the Pleistocene. The Borneo orangutans seemed to spend more time on the ground than that their counterparts in Sumatra. It is thought that since Sumatra has tigers and Borneo does not.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103496

Proboscis Monkey

We surveyed the previously unexplored Kota Belud region in North Western Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, to determine the population and distribution of proboscis monkeys. The Proboscis monkey has been categorized as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 2000. Our data indicated the critical situation faced by the Proboscis monkey in Kota Belud with increasing pressure from human development activities. Primate Conservation 2024 (37): 174-184

Kalimantan War of Independence

The state of East Indonesia comprising Java, Bali, Borneo and Sulawesi was established in 1946 before the Republic of Indonesia. Contact me for a copy.

Malaria

The clearing and replacement of tropical rainforests for oil palm causes the spread of malaria through the changes in habitat favourable to the malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi through the mosquito  Anopheles balabacensis. The mosquito population increases because of increased water and a lack of towering trees. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-024-01675-w

Plastics in clams

A study of clams in the water of Panti Teluk, Sabah revealed all had microplastics in their bodies. The Tua Too (Glauconome virens) contained the most plastic while the Malaysian cockle(Anadara granosa) had the least. Black, blue, and red fibres of plastic were the most commonly found in the shellfish. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32628-z 

Mistletoe

This study presents a checklist of showy mistletoe (Loranthaceae) from the Lambir Hills National Park located in the Miri district, Sarawak. DOI:10.3759/tropics.MS23-08

Orangutan

In this study, They investigate Orangutan habitat quality and the conservation value of a secondary forest with a history of logging within Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia. While overall fruit availability was consistently higher in the primary forest, the abundance and fruiting frequency of preferred foods were significantly greater in the secondary forest. The fruiting pattern of preferred resources also significantly predicted Orangutan presence. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/48264

New Plant not so new

As announced here and in many other places the discovery of a new plant species,  pinanga subterranea, a palm native to the island, was new only to the Europeans at Kew. The plant was widely known among the Malays, Chinese, Ibans and Ulu Tribes of Borneo. gale.com/apps/doc/A780921476/AONE?u=anon~364c506d&sid=googleScholar&xid=e2a4210c.

Penan

Chapter 4 of the book Handbook of Rituals in Contemporary Studies of Religion is about the religion of the Penan. The Penan are producers and users of rituals that are not easily seen, but copious and crucial to their everyday lives. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004692206_006

East India Company

A history of the East India Company is presented in The Oxford Handbook of Southeast Asian Englishes. The Oxford Handbook of Southeast Asian Englishes, chapter 

Textiles of Indonesia

 A review of the RM470 book Textiles of Indonesia is presented. There are many colour images and great information in this review. Taylor, Paul Michael 2024 [Review article:] Textiles of Indonesia: The Thomas Murray Collection. Arts of Asia 54(2):136-143 (Spring 2024).

Fort Emma Kanowit

 The primary purpose of this research is to collect data and to save the archaeological context (material culture) in situ before being disturbed by conservation activities and upgrading the site of Kubu Emma, Kanowit, Sarawak. doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3826139/v1

The Kadam Tree

Plants derived from the tissues of the Kadam tree(Neolamarckia cadamba) grow slower but have greater photosynthetic activity than those that occur in nature. The tree is an evergreen noted for its timber, fruit edible by humans and leaves are fed to cattle. The timber is used for plywood, paper pulp and other low-quality timber products. DOI: 10.7324/JABB.2024.157151 

Oil Palm Investments

Oil palm trees planted 22-25 years ago need to be uprooted and the land replanted with younger trees. To undertake such a venture, investors need to be secured. Moodys currently rates such an investment as “investment grade” with a medium risk. Oil palm plantations need to lower the risk to attract investors. https://doi.org/10.55927/fjsr.v3i3.7872

Tropical Forest Nutrients

This study investigated the association between soil nutrients and tree species in unlogged and logged tropical lowland forests in Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia. Results showed that certain soil nutrient concentrations were greater in the unlogged forest compared to the logged forest except for potassium, sodium, and inorganic nitrogen. Philippine Journal of Science 152 (1): 453-467, February 2024

Temperatures in Underwater Caves

Temperatures increased when carbon dioxide levels in the air increased in over 5K years in this study in underwater caves in Sabah. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15117

Taman Language 

This study discusses the two Taman languages, the Tamanic Taman and the Sekadau Taman. This paper compares and contrasts the two languages. A comparison study found that Tamanic Taman and Sekadau Taman share a large volume of “Malayic” lexical items. DOI: 10.1344/DIALECTOLOGIA2023.32.8

Flooding in Kuching

Using landscaped areas which are designed to collect runoff, filter the water and hold the water like a sponge and broad channels also landscaped could significantly reduce urban flooding in Kuching. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-024-01081-8

The poor and death

Poor people and death have a high correlation in six states including Sarawak. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0192412

BorneoHistory.net