VILLAGERS HONOURED AT AWARDS

Kota Kinabalu: The ingenuity of a rural community in a small village called Kampung Libang Laut Garas in Tambunan to generate electricity using old automotive parts received recognition from the State Government in the Fourth Sabah Environmental Recognition Night 2009, Saturday.

Presenting the inaugural Minister's Special Award to Hamid Jasmin and a group of villagers from Kampung Libang Laut Garas was State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun in a glittering night at Magellan Sutera Harbour.

Masidi praised the kampung folk led by Hamid for their cleverness in installing the water wheel, a project dubbed by them as Balasut. Even though the ingenious generator was swept away by flood, the villagers never gave up improving their machine in order to provide power supply to their village, said the Minister in the award citation.

According to Masidi, he decided to introduce the award for the first time this year to provide recognition to those who had contributed greatly to the environment but did not fall into the various categories contested.

Secondly, he said it was also to recognize their contributions, which they (the recipients) did not want to make a fuss in the first place.