The Broken Shield

Kanang Ak Langkau was initially shabbily treated

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:28:00 +0000

Malaysia’s most decorated war hero Kanang Anak Langkau could have died as a pauper as his military services – helping to liberate Malaya (and later Malaysia) from the communists were not respected as a hero should be until he and few other war heroes made noise complaining that they had been treated shabbily both by the Federal Government and Sarawak State Government.

Their contributions were not financially recognized – not even a sen and their welfare were not taken care of, as compared to financial rewards and other perks given to communist terrorists who surrendered.

The heroes were 21 holders of Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB) with 16 survivors. Of the total there are two Chinese army officers, one Bidayuh, one Kayan, one Malay and 14 Ibans. But the majorities in the Armed Forces are Malays, according to a book – Crimson Tide over Borneo. The youngest of the PGB holder is ASP Wilfred Gomez of the Police Force.

There were six holders of Sri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa from Sarawak, and with the death of Kanang Anak Langkau, there is one SP holder in the person of Sgt. Ngalinuh (an Orang Ulu).

Kanang Anak Langkau was the holder of both the SP and PGB. Their contributions were initially not rewarded, not even a sen except they received pensions like other retired civil servants.

The heroes were not even invited to attend national day celebrations.

Angered by the ill-treatment, Kanang even refused ‘Datukship’ offered to him saying he was a poor man and could not afford to receive the title of ‘Datukship’.

Their woes got the attention of the MP for Lubok Antu Jawah Gerang who raised the issue in Parliament some time in 1980s. Approved by the government, a PGB holder was given a monthly allowance of RM300 and a SP holder RM400.

For PGB holders like Sgt Dajai Angie, their allowances were backdated to 1973. (Dajai was given the bravery medal in 1971).

In 2006, a delegation of the heroes from Sarawak met with the Defence Minister Najib Tun Razak and appealed to increase their monthly allowances by RM700.

Instead of accepting their recommendation, Najib who was also the Deputy Prime Minister decided to more than double the increase of the allowance by RM1,600. The issue was brought to Parliament and approved. Thus, a SP holder receives RM2,000 a month, while a PGB holder receives RM1,900 a month.

For his knowledge in Iban traditions and customs, Kanang was later made a Temenggong for the Iban community of Sri Aman division and last year he was conferred a Datukship by the state government.

Kanang passed away at the age of 68 at the Sarawak General Hospital on Thursday morning after complaining of chest pains. He was buried today (Jan 6) with full military honours at the Heroes’ Grave at Jalan Budaya, Kuching.

Meanwhile messages of condolences and sympathy have been received by the family of the late Kanang from government leaders including from Najib Tun Razak and Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Born in 1945 in Julau, Kanang joined the Sarawak Rangers as an Iban tracker in 1962. (He was among those recruited by the late Bennett Jarrow). Sarawak Rangers was then part of the British Army and later absorbed into the Malaysian Army’s Royal Ranger Regiment upon the formation of Malaysia in September 1963.

In an incident in Perak on February 8, 1980 a soldier was killed. Kanang leading a platoon was sent to track the enemy down and destroy them. For eleven days they followed the enemy until they stumbled upon a much larger enemy force.

In the ensuing fight, Kanang and his men killed five communists and with one loss of the side of the Rangers with Kanang himself was shot three times.

Kanang’s battle cry ‘Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban’ (as long as I live, I shall fight) inspired his men and other soldiers to fight to death in the defence of the nation.

For his bravery, Kanang was awarded the nation’s two highest awards Sri Pahlawan Perkasa (SP) and the Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB) by Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ahmad Shah in June 1981.

He retired as Warrant Officer One (WOI) after serving the army for more than 21 years.

May he rest in peace.

THE BUDGET BLACK HOLE OF SARAWAK GOVERNMENT

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:45:00 +0000

DAP asks: Where has our RM11 billion gone?

Since 2006, a secretive item titled ‘Government Contribution towards approved Agencies Trust Fund’ has appeared in the annual Sarawak Government’s budgets.

Approximately 50% of the annual state development expenditure is allocated to this trust fund.

In the year 2006, RM520,000,000 out of total development expenditure of RM1,969,822.400 was allocated to the trust fund; in 2007 RM1,257,000,000 out of RM2,294,174,000 was allocated; in 2008, the amount was RM1,719,083,100 out of RM2,864,929,300, and in 2009, it was RM1,825,061,000 out of total development expenditure of RM3,075,368,900, and for 2010, the amount allocated was RM1,072,409,800 out of RM2,776,681,600.

For the 2011 state budget, the amount allocated was RM1,416,475,000 out of the total development expenditure of RM3,630,305,950, and in the year 2012, the allocation shot up to RM1,709,463,00 out of RM3,262,759,580 of development expenditure.

And this year the state government has allocated RM1, 853,687,500 out of RM3, 407,339,183 of the state development expenditure.

The total amount allocated to the fund is RM11, 373,179,400 out of RM23, 281,380,913 of total development expenditure for the eight years of state budgets.

Despite the large amount allocated, Taib (State Finance Minister) has refused to disclose who are these so-called ‘agencies’ receiving the ‘contributions’ from the government.

All we were told is that the ‘approved agencies’ are body corporate, companies or organisations which have been approved in writing by the Chief Minister to promote the economic, social or educational advancement of the state.

It can be private companies or cronies or family companies who have received such fund. To many BN politicians, advancement of family business is often equated to ‘economic advancement of the state’. That is why hundreds of acres of State land have been alienated to the crony companies at as low as 10% of the prevailing market prices.

Why is the State Government refusing to disclose the identities of those who have received the funds?

Sarawakians have lost RM10 billion to this State budget ‘black hole’ over the last seven years and another RM1.8 billion this year.

Had this RM10 billion not gone into this black hole, the RM10 billion could be used to:

- Upgrade Pan Borneo Highway to four-lane for the whole of Sarawak;
- Provide 10,000 full overseas medical scholarships;
- Build 100,000 of units median-cost houses, easing the financial burden of the people;
- Give RM3,700 to every Sarawakian;
- Build 20 equivalents of Sarawak General Hospital;
- Pay 20 years of salaries for all Sarawak state civil servants ; or
- Build 2,000 A-grade schools……

(Note: These details are in the DAP flyer and will be distributed to voters in order to raise their awareness on the blunders made by the state government. More of such flyers will be distributed from time to time as part of its campaign strategy).

Global pressure against Taib’s mega dams

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

The Bruno Manser Fund wants Sarawak Energy Bhd to declare its finances, contracts and funders linked to the development of mega dams in Sarawak.

KUCHING: Swiss-based NGO Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), which has been at the forefront of a global campaign against Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s land “development” policy which has stripped the state’s verdant rainforest and displaced thousands of indigenous natives, is calling for an independent external review of the Bakun, Bengoh and Batang Ai dams.

It is also demanding for a moratorium on all Sarawak dam construction and for Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB), a key player in the development, to sack its chairman, Hamed Abdul Sepawi.

BMF also wants SEB to declare its finances, contracts and funders.

It is also exerting pressure on foreign corporations, which it alleged were closely linked to Taib’s global business empire, to shun the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE)

It claimed “any involvement in Taib government’s hydropower programme is inextricably linked to corruption, environmental damage and human rights violations”.

In a report released today entitled “Sold Down the River. How Sarawak Dam Plans Compromise the Future of Malaysia’s Indigenous Peoples”, BMF disclosed that many of companies involved were closely linked to Taib and to his family-linked Cahaya Mata Sarawak (CMS).

“Foreign corporate actors, such as Australia’s Hydro Tasmania, Snowy Mountains Engineering Company (SMEC), GHD, the US consultant MWH Global, Norway’s Norconsult, Germany’s Fichtner and construction companies such as China’s Three Gorges Corporation and Sinohydro have concluded a ‘pact with the devil’ and are assisting the Taib government with its dam projects,” it said.

The report also named the “funding agencies” behind the Sarawak dam plans to include RHB Bank, EON Bank and AmInvestment Bank alongside Kuwait Finance House and Kenanga Investment Bank, which is a joint venture between CMS and Deutsche Bank.

The report further examined the dam plans that form part of SCORE, which is seen as “Southeast Asia’s most ambitious and most expensive energy project”.

The project, BMF noted, has a “planned investments of up to US$105 billion by 2030”.

According to BMF, some tens of thousands of indigenous people affected by the massive project are facing forced displacement from their traditional lands.

Sarawak has ‘excess’ power

The report noted that under the guise of “development”, the Taib government is planning to virtually dam all the rivers in the state’s interior, irrespective of the social and environmental implications.

“The dam plans are being pushed ahead under a cloak of secrecy. If implemented, they would entail the cultural genocide of a significant part of Sarawak’s rich indigenous culture,” it said.

A first series of 12 dams is currently being implemented by SEB, which holds monopoly on the state’s power supply.

The report stressed the fact that Sarawak is already facing a “excess power” situation.

“The current peak demand in Sarawak is around 1,000 megawatts (MW) and is thus far less than the power that can be produced by the recently completed Bakun dam alone, which, with a capacity of 2400 MW, is Asia’s largest dam outside China.”

BMF said that the Taib government and SEB, as the implementing agency, were facing increasing opposition from the affected communities.

“Representatives of SAVE Rivers, a Sarawak network set up to fight the Taib government’s dam plans, are currently embarking on a tour through Australia.

“The Hydro Tasmania-out-of-Sarawak tour is aimed at increasing the pressure on publicly-owned Hydro Tasmania, one of the most important corporate actors involved in the Sarawak dam plans,” it noted.

On Tuesday, Save Rivers chairman Peter Kallang said the tour aimed to enlighten Australians on the situation with the dams and urge the locals to pressure the Australian government into compelling Hydro Tasmania to rescind its decision to participate in the venture.

PRS jittery over PBDS possible return?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:16:00 +0000

Former leaders of deregistered PBDS claim there are still 100,000 ex-members who are awaiting its registration and return.

KUCHING: Is the revival of the de-registered Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) a threat to James Masing-led Party Rakyat Sarawak (PRS)? Is that why PRS secretary-general Wilfred Nissom unleashed a volley of questions at its former PBDS leaders?

In a SMS message to FMT following reports that former PBDS leaders had met up at a reunion dinner and the party’s status was discussed, Nisson asked: “What are these ex-PBDS members up to in reviving the party?

“Is it a response to PRS’s stance? Or is it going to contribute to Dayak solidarity?”

Nissom said it is crucial that protem officials of PBDS Baru, which is pending registeration, explain their status.

“Is it [PBDS Baru] going to contest PRS’ claim of being the continuation of PBDS?

“Or is it going to recover the Dayak majority seats that PRS cannot claim back due to the fact that PRS is a member of the Barisan Nasional?

“How PBDS Baru chooses to answer these questions will determine whether the party can be said to be good or otherwise for Sarawak and Dayaks in particular,” he said.

PBDS was deregistered on Oct 21, 2004 when Masing, who was then PBDS publicity chief and Sng Chee Hua, then PBDS senior vice-president, were attempting to dislodge Daniel

Tajem as PBDS president in the 2003 party triennial delegates’ conference.

Tajem’s team mate was Joseph Salang.

100,000 members partyless

The challenge created an unresolved leadership crisis which led to the party to be deregistered in October 2004. It was the same day Masing formed PRS.

Masing is the PRS president.

Of 148,000 members, some 40,000 are now with PRS and other parties including BN component parties.

But more than 100,000 of them have remained partyless until today and their anger against Masing is just like the “embers of a fire”. They have blamed Masing for the crisis.

Masing, they said, chose to side with Sng instead of Salang.

In the effort to get rid of Tajem, Masing cooperated with Sng to destroy PBDS and was blind to the real character of Sng.

The Ibans likened Masing’s association with Sng to “Kumang nupi sawa” (Kumang rearing a python) which in the end would devour him.

(When they formed PRS, Sng, who was deputy president then, tried to get rid of Masing in May 2006. Sng’s efforts almost landed PRS in big trouble including deregistration)

Meanwhile, responding to Nissom’s questions, Louis Jarau, protem president of PBDS Baru, said there is nothing for Nissom or PRS to be afraid of as their efforts to register PBDS Baru do not concern him or his party.

“We are not disturbing other people. We just want the party to be registered. Is anything wrong with that?

“It is yet to be registered, so why are you so concerned with PBDS Baru?” he said, pointing out that PRS should be more concerned with the coming general election as Sarawak Workers Party is after them.

PBDS Baru no concern of PRS

Jarau said that the purpose of reviving the party was to continue with the struggle left unfinished with PBDS’ deregistration.

“We don’t want to pick quarrel with anybody. Whosoever is partyless and shares our struggle can join our party once it is registered.

“As a Dayak-based party, PBDS Baru will be the platform for the Dayaks to voice their concerns. This will be the difference between PBDS Baru and PRS which is a multi-racial,” he said.

He lamented that as of now no party, especially in BN, has expressed concern over the way the Dayaks are being treated.

On the coming election, Jarau said: “We never think about it. Our priority is to get the party registered.

“If it cannot be registered under this present government, we will wait for a new government that can be more sympathetic to our cause.

“I am sure things will change after the general election,” he added.

Before its deregistration, PBDS was the second biggest party in the state BN at one time with 15 state assemblymen and nine MPs.

- - TAKEN FROM FREE MALAYSIA TODAY

What’s really left of our forest, Taib?’

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 18:25:00 +0000

Does the Sarawak government even know how much of the state's rainforest is left?

KUCHING: Conflicting statements from Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and his much-speculated successor Awang Tengah Ali Hassan over the size of Sarawak’s remaining rainforest have raised more questions.

According to Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian, last week Taib said that 48% of the land mass in the state was still covered with forest.

The same Taib in a YouTube video posted last year claimed that 70% of Sarawak’s forest was intact, which is equivalent to about 8.68 million hectares (ha). This year the figure is 6 million ha.

“This means that in just over one year, 2.68 million ha of our forest has been destroyed. Is the chief minister intending to continue clearing what is left?

“Will the figure next year be five million ha? What about the disastrous consequences of the deforestation that have been carried out to date?” asked Bian.

Sarawak’s total land mass is about 12.4 million ha.

Taib’s statement also contradicts comments made by Awang Tengah, who is Resource Planning and Environment Second Minister, on the same issue.

Bian said in February this year, Awang Tengah declared proudly at the World Wetlands Day celebrations that the state is more than 80% covered with forest.

He also declared that the state has targeted to turn some one million ha of its natural forest by 2020 into totally protected areas in the form of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

A further six million ha will be left untouched to become permanent forest while another two million ha has been approved for forest rehabilitation programme.

“Now we’re left confused. If the chief minister says that there is only six million ha of forest left and Awang Tengah says one million ha will be turned into totally protected areas and six million ha will be left untouched, then all logging activities should stop immediately to preserve the six million ha that is left.

“But that still leaves us with one million ha short for the totally protected areas.

“Clearly, the authorities do not wish to disclose the statistics to the public, judging from the conflicting figures presented to the public.

“Perhaps they do not know themselves how much of our forests is left. At the same time, they deny the claims of environmentalists that judging from satellite images, Sarawak has lost up to 90% of its primary forest cover.

“The land belongs to the people of Sarawak and the authorities have been entrusted to manage and protect this precious lifeline of the people.

“The least they can do is to disclose the accurate figures to the public instead of giving us such confusing and conflicting figures,” Bian said.

Define ‘forests’

He said the conflicting statements are not helping dispel people’s growing distrust of the BN government.

Already hogging the alternative media headlines and online Radio Free Sarawak broadcasts are widespread allegations of land grabs and self-enriching projects by those in power.

Said Bian: “There are now more questions than answers. What are they to do with the countless number of people displaced and dispossessed by logging and plantation companies which are now fighting for their NCR lands?

“What about the destruction of the habitat of wildlife by these companies and the loss of the sources of food and medicinal plants for the people who live off the land?

“And the pollution and silting of the rivers caused by the logging activities and the resulting loss of fish and aquatic life?”

He also questioned the quality of the remaining forest and urged the government to define the term “forest”.

“Do planted forests and plantations come under the government’s definition of ‘forest’?

“How much of the merchantable timber is left? In many areas, the natives are left with low-grade timber which they cannot use for building their houses or boats.

“The other burning issues for me are how much of the land in Sarawak are plantation land, and protected forests and how much of the protected areas have been excised for plantations by the government,” said Bian, who is also Ba’Kelalan assemblyman.

- Free Malaysia Today

‘Sarawak’s paper millionaires’

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 17:36:00 +0000

The state government claims that they have created 2,000 millionaires through the Native Customary Rights JV concept, but others claim they are only paper millionaires.

KUCHING: The Sarawak government claims that they have created 2,000 millionaires through the new Native Customary Rights concept but detractors say they are “paper millionaires”

Sarawak PKR chairman Baru Bian says that they are only paper millionaires.

He was refuting claims by assistant minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development) Mohd Naroden Majais’ statement that 2,000 participant in the NCR exercise were now millionaires.

Naroden had said that through the NCR land development and new concept through JV, about 2,000 landowners who have 50 acres and above now are holding assets worth a million ringgit.

“Therefore, we can say that the scheme has created not less than 2,000 rural Bumiputera millionaires,” the assistant minister had said.

Bian who is also the Ba’Kelalan assemblyman said: “His statement is misleading. In terms of acreage you may say they are ‘paper millionaires’.

“The truth is that they are ‘bankrupt millionaires’, because they have not been paid their dues by the investors and government agency’s agent like Pelita or LCDA (Land Custody Development Authority).

“Two cases had been nullified by the court including the brain child NCR land project of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud in Machan, Kanowit.

“After nine years the investors said that there are no profits so there are no dividends, so what millionaires is he is talking about?

Commenting on the same issue, Patrick Sibat Sujang, a former NCR land development committee member of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) accused the assistant minister of misleading the people.

“While on paper, the value of the land could be worth millions of ringgit, but it is useless and meaningless to the landowners as under the JV concept, the landowners had surrendered their land to the JV companies.

“As the landowners have no rights to their land, they are now at the mercy of the investors. They cannot sell their land or get back their land.

“To me the landowners are condemned to poverty for the next 60 years,” said Sujang, pointing out that some landowners received no dividend at all.

“Even if some of them are paid dividends, it is far below the poverty line, and some scheme participants in Lubok Antu received less than RM10 worth of dividend per year,” he said.

“Tell me how the landowners can become millionaires under this concept?

Sujang believed that the only way the landowners can become rich is for the new concept to be replaced by a rental system.

- - Taken from Free Malaysia Today

Stop the race game, warns Nazri

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:37:00 +0000

Humayun Kabir

The de facto law minister says that stern action will be taken against any one that fan racial and religious hatred in the country.

TAIPING: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz has given a final warning to all quarters to stop harping on the sensitive issues of race and religion or face legal consequences.

“This is my last warning to all to stop harping on racial and religious issues and I don’t want to repeat this again,” said Nazri.

“As the law minister, I shall ensure that stern action is taken against any quarters that fan racial and religious hatred (among the various races in the country)” he said.

He was speaking at a fund raising dinner organised by the Persatuan Kebajikan See Hai Keng Si Trong in Simpang here on Saturday night. The event was attended by leaders from Umno, Gerakan and Pakatan Rakyat, which included Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming.

Nazri said that after 55 years of independence, the nation should not be divided along racial or religious lines and the government would not tolerate such hatred to divide the racially united country.

The Umno leader also said that all the races in the country were rightful citizens of Malaysia and there should be no racial discrimination by calling the Chinese and Indians as “pendatang” as they have also contributed greatly to the economic growth of the nation.

He called all quarters to think as one Malaysian race as propagated by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s slogan of 1Malaysia for the nation to progress towards vision 2020.

Nazri also contributed RM100,000 to the Persatuan’s fundraising campaign while other political leaders also chipped in with their contributions.

Nazri, in his speech, paid glowing recognition to the contributions of the Chinese community who had played a major role in contributing to the fast economic development of Malaysia.

He said the two states of Kenya and Uganda in Africa had also attained independences during the same time when Malaysia received her Merdeka but the African states did not progress economically like this nation.

He reasoned that had the Chinese community made their presence felt in the two African states, than these states would have progressed economically well like Malaysia.

- Source: Free Malaysia Today.

Comment: He appears to be giving warning after warning. So far no action has been taken against religious fanatics. We are waiting for his action!

WHICH COUNTRY ... ???

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:55:00 +0000

From the Blog of Din Merican

READ and DECIDE for our Country’s Future

I received this via e-mail from a Malaysian friend who is residing in the Land of the Free (USofA). He told me that he is sick to his inner core about our politics and feels very frustrated the current administration and its so-called transformation agenda.

“It is not transformation. It is retrogression, back to the Age of Ignorance and Barbarism”, he says. I thought, I should share this with you. I am very sick knowing that law and order has broken down and the Police and other agencies are part of the ruling kleptocracy.– Din Merican

Never in the history of any country has a government been as hypocritical, deceptive, dishonest and destructive as this government in question.

Which country has had only one political party in government for more than half a century?

Which country allows the government to use public funds for political purposes?

Which country uses the Police to beat up peaceful protestors and corner them when they have already dispersed?

Which country has a Prime Minister linked to murder?

Which country has a Prime Minister linked to corruption and his colleagues don’t bother?

Which country uses Islam as a political tool to destroy other Muslims?

Which country practices racial discrimination in its policies like South Africa?

Which country gives money to the rich to buy houses cheaper because of their race?

Which country gives money to ministers so they get very rich while the poor suffer?

Which country punishes honest former top Custom and Police officers who whistleblow?

Which country allows its government to rob the poor and fill the pockets of the rich by unreasonable road tolls?

Which country bails out cronies in business with public money into billions of ringgit?

Which country forces religion down people’s throats while the political leaders live in sin?

Which country has an anti-corruption agency accused of murder?

Which country has a police system that sees so many Indian youths die in police lock-ups?

Which country has former soldiers take part in politics and act like thugs against a clean and honest lady?

Which country has a ‘First Lady’ who spends the people’s money when the country does not even have a president?

Which country builds a costly palace when many people do not have proper housing, water and electricity?

Which country denies the Opposition time to speak freely yet claims to be the world’s best democracy?

Which country allows the Police to beat its journalists doing their jobs without mercy?

Which country forces its young into national youth programmes and see many die in freak accidents?

Which country has its Prime Minister say something and the DPM disagrees. Remember 1Malaysia and “Aku Melayu”.

Which country has a Prime Minister who runs away while important things happen in his country?

Which country allows dirty videos and other slanderous material to be published against others freely?

Which country has conspired against its Opposition leader in a sex scandal that we know is a conspiracy?

Which country has a retired Prime Minister and No 1 Ass-Hole who can’t keep his mouth shut and creates disharmony?

Which country has someone like former Premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad whose word cannot be trusted – who has said he has retired from politics but is still blabbing?

Which country has a Royal Commission which exposes mismanagement and corruption in the Police force but nothing is done to correct the shortcomings?

Which country has a Royal Commission to expose judge fixing and yet still no one is charged?

Which country has the NEP but sees many Malays denied of opportunities because they belong to the wrong political party?

Which country sees the non-Malays discriminated against and deprived of the constitutional rights while the corrupt take the lion’s share of their prosperity?

Which country makes a car and sells it at a higher price in the country but charges less for it in other countries?

Which country sees the people divided into bumiputera and non-bumiputera and practises apartheid policies?

Which country has gone so backward in its political culture and stays in power by bribing others with money?

Which country has a farmers’ cooperative and short changes its members not giving them their due money?

Which country has seen so many abuses of power and yet the government can still stay in power because of electoral irregularities?

Which country has punished its honest citizens for calling for democracy and clean and fair elections?

Which country controls all the country’s mainstream media and spreads propaganda?

Which country punishes media producers who merely want to promote a free country, what’s wrong with that?

Which country spends money on 1Malaysia but promotes racial hatred and disharmony?

Which country allows a politician like that white snake in Sarawak to be filthy rich and rob the natives of their lands and trees?

Which country allows a politician to spend public money to promote himself overseas?

Which country has been censured by the BBC for censoring their news we see?

Which country but MALAYSIA!

Many Malaysians and I have had enough. I can go on and on forever but I don’t want the UMNO-Barisan political coalition to govern our country and lead us to extinction while their sons and daughters party and drive around in Lamborghini and Ferrari cars while the majority of us live in poverty.

The Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Mamak Mahathir are masters of hypocrisy and their deeds expose their forked-tongues, because they say one thing and do something else, and they are able to trick the blind and impressionable who they know how to keep in check with money and illiteracy but not with intelligence, whether they are Malays, Indian, Chinese, Sarawakians or Sabahans.

What happened to Anwar Ibrahim, Teoh Beng Hock, Ahmad Sarbani, and Kugan and many innocent Malaysians can happen to anybody when you have morally depraved politicians in power.

Whatever your status in the country, whatever your race, whatever your religion, your enemy is the one who is turning your country into a disaster zone and the sooner you vote those crooks out of power the sooner you can save your nation and get something better.

No one can do worse than what has been done to Malaysia. Only those who are on the BN’s political payroll or get the kickbacks will disagree when there is the mounting evidence of corruption and abuses of power.

The Umno-MCA-MIC and their Sarawak and Sarawak cronies have sold out their people and traded their interests for their own selfish power and positions.

I am not a member of the Opposition, just a citizen sick of the situation and only a fool will want the same government. If I can, I will vote for change of government for the sake of the nation.

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” -- Thomas Jefferson

Murum blockade still on

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:45:00 +0000

For Immediate Release

MURUM – The Penans in Murum affected by the Murum Hydro-electric Power (HEP) Dam are still blockading the road leading to the construction site of the dam despite newspaper reports saying otherwise.

Raymond Abin, coordinator for Sarawak Conservation Alliance for Natural Environment (SCANE) confirmed today via telephone that the blockade in Murum is still on and the reports in the newspapers saying that the blockade has been lifted is false.

Raymond said, “Liwan Lagang did indeed tried to negotiate with the Penans to dismantle the blockade, however the Penans were not happy with him as he could not assure them in writing that the government would accede to their demands.”

According to Raymond, the Penans however, did agree to Liwan suggestion to not bring their children to the blockade site and with this some of the Penans brought their children back to their villages.

Liwan also invited a few Penans with him to Bintulu and then Kuching to meet and negotiate with government officials there.

]It is here that Liwan told the press that the blockade has been lifted contrary to the report that Raymond gave.

“I met the elders and leaders in Murum yesterday and they are saying that the blockade is still on,” Raymond said.

“They told me that only one headman accompanied the few members of the community to Kuching and that they are not in the position to make any decisions on behalf of the whole community,” added Raymond.

“The Penans are still adamant with their demands to the government,” said Raymond.

Among their demands are 25 hectares of land for each of the 300 families affected by the dam; RM500,000 cash compensation for each family; 30,000 hectares of land to each of the nine villages; education fund for their children; community development fund for their

community; and rights to land which are not flooded (islands created) by the dam.

On Monday, 8 October 2012, it was reported in the Borneo Post that the Penans in Murum have ended their 10 day blockade with the intervention of state assemblyman for Belaga, Liwan Lagang, who is also Sarawak’s Assistant Minister of Culture and Heritage.

The Penans are from 8 villages, namely Long Wat, Long Luar, Long Tangau, Long Menapa, Long Singu and Long Malim, which are located upstream, and Long Peran and Long Jaik in the downstream of the dam project site.

The Murum HEP will inundate and require the forced relocation of about 1,500 Penans as well as the 18 Kenyah-Badeng families in Long Umpa village near Long Malim in Danum River, the upper course of Murum River.

SAVE Rivers is again urging the government to listen to the plights of the Penans and is emphasising the need for the government to abide by the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which Malaysia has agreed to adopt at the United Nations.

SAVE Rivers note with great concern that the government has admitted through James Masing, Sarawak’s Minister of Land Development and now Liwan Lagang that there are a lot of weaknesses by the government in dealing with the Penans affected by the Murum HEP project.

SAVE Rivers is shocked to learn about the revelations written in the report from the leaked Murum Resettlement Action Plan for the natives to be displaced by the Murum Dam which can be found in the Sarawak Report website that explains how the impoverish Penans are neglected by the government and that the resettlement site is not suitable for them at all.

This is the very reason why SAVE Rivers is against the planned 11 dams which the state government is planning to build across Sarawak’s interior which will flood thousands of hectares of native customary land and displace thousands of indigenous peoples from their ancestral territories.

SAVE Rivers will continue to update on the situation of the blockade.

End –

For more information you can contact Raymond Abin at +60138449345

Press Statement release by:

Mark Bujang

Secretary, SAVE Rivers

“STAR: BN Government Planning to Abolish Native Rights?”

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:53:00 +0000

PRESS STATEMENT

The purpose of this Press Conference is to announce STAR Sabah’sstand against the BN State Government’s intention to abolish native rights. The native customary rights of indigenous people are recognized and are to be protected and have been universally adopted of late by many countries under the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People.

The recent statement by the Lands and Surveys Director that NCR does not exist after the enforcement of the Sabah Land Ordinance, 1930 is not unexpected as the present government has failed to resolve NCR problems in the State.

The Director cannot be blamed for being used as the mouthpiece of the BN government and merely echoed the previous statement of the State Attorney General.

As can be seen from Pitas to Pensiangan and from Sukau and Kalabakan to Sindumin, the State government has caused widespread misery and injustice to the local natives. It is well documented that many lands have been alienated to companies in the tens of thousands of hectares while land applications of natives of 10 or 15 acres are not processed for many, many years.

The natives have not only lost their NCR and land rights but also their livelihood to these unscrupulous companies and their inhumane owners. And in many instances, many of these companies even engaged illegal immigrants and foreign workers to demolish the homes and destroy the crops of these natives and to chase them from their very own land, very often, in full view of and sometimes tacit support of the police and enforcement agencies.

Despite the many warnings and incidents of violence by these foreigners, it is a matter of time before the real bloodshed will happen. Yet, the State government has done little to assist the poor and suffering natives.

In hindsight, it is not surprising considering that the top 4 officers in land administration, from the chief executive to the forestry, the lands department and the top legal officer in the State are helmed by non-natives. In a recent posting, the latter 3 were even called the 3 stooges of the power that be. One wonders what will happen in such a meeting to discuss NCR matters, where is the voice and conscience of the local natives?

To rub salt into the wound, a KDM is only deemed fit to look after animals and wildlife. And add on the rumours of people of a certain race waiting in the late afternoons to attend to their land applications in the Lands Department.

We leave it to the people to judge on the matter.

On a more sombre mood, drastic reforms in the land and NCR laws and administration are urgently needed to protect the natives, who were the original settlers since time immemorial and long before Sabah formed MALAYSIA with Malaya in 1963.

The British colonial masters have always respected the native customary rights and their right to life depending on their land for their livelihood. This legacy can be seen in the administration of land law and the Sabah Land Ordinance (Cap. 68) that was passed in 1930.

The British not only deemed it fit to respect NCR but also made numerous provisions to protect such native rights as can be seen throughout the Land Ordinance.

For instance, in the definition of “State land” in Section 4, it is expressly provided that “State land” excludes lands which “are not and may not hereafter be lawfully occupied by any person…”. The word “hereafter” clearly refers to after the enforcement of the Land Ordinance. Clearly excluded from “State land” are lands lawfully occupied after the Land Ordinance.

Only natives with a lawful claim to NCR can lawfully occupy and obtain legitimate ownership of the land. NCR is clearly defined in Section 15. Obviously, a non-native cannot claim for NCR no matter how long he or she is in occupation as such occupation is not lawful.

The definition of “State land” clearly contradicts the statement of the Lands and Surveys Director that NCR did not exist after the Land Ordinance in 1930. The Director is clearly wrong and ill-advised.

If the Director’s statement is correct, there is no necessity for the numerous provisions on native rights, NCR and procedures to protect such rights. For instance, in Section 13, upon the receipt of any land application, it is the duty of the government to publish a notice calling upon any claimant to NCR in such land and an enquiry is required to establish that no NCR exists on the said land.

Judging from the numerous overlapping claims of NCR and claims of companies that have been alienated land occupied by natives, it is obvious that the government has failed to comply with Section 13.

The Director is also wrong to state that the natives be made to rely on land applications for their claims to land and that one of the consideration of natives’ land applications is the basis of NCR such as in Section 15. In Section 14, there is no need for any native to submit a land application as what is required is a claim to NCR which shall be taken down by the headman or the Collector and shall be decided by the Collector. This is reiterated in Sections 81 and 82.

It is wrong for the Director to impose such onerous procedure and conditions before a native can obtain a native land right. Judging from the Land Ordinance, it is more of a verification and identification of the NCR rather than a formal land application. A NCR is a birth right of the natives.

A land application by any native to any land which is not occupied or claimed by him as NCR is a separate issue as any native like any other non-native or company is entitled to apply for land and be alienated such land. Such a native is not obliged to prove his NCR rights before his land application to land which is not occupied by him to be approved and alienated.

To overcome the furore of the Director’s statement and to calm the anxieties of the natives,STAR Sabah calls upon the government to respect and restore the rights of natives to NCR and native lands and prioritize land for all Sabahans based on STAR’s policy and vision “NCR FIRST, SABAH LAND FOR SABAHANS FIRST”.

In addition, the government must also carry out administrative reforms in land administration in the State.

The claims of the natives to NCR must be de-centralized to the Collector of Land Revenue (and by extension to the Assistant Collector of Land Revenue as defined in Section 4 of the Land Ordinance) as provided in Sections 14 and 82. The government and the Director must obey the Land Ordinance and comply with it fully.

The State government should also establish a LAND AND NCR COMMISSION to safeguard the rights of the natives on NCR and their land rights and to protect the integrity of the current holders of public office. If not, the government must replace the land and forestry directors with natives until such time meritocracy is fully implemented and any Sabahan is able to hold such positions with any adverse inference.

A SABAH NATIVE LAND FOUNDATION should also be established to safeguard and protect native lands and the rights of the natives to their native lands.

If the government is truly concerned and wished to safeguard the land rights of the natives, the government should declare areas to be designated as “native reserves” under Section 78 of the Land Ordinance. If the governments in the Peninsular can designate lands to be Malay Reserves, this can be replicated in Sabah to safeguard future generations of natives to native lands.

The integrity and sincerity of the present government including the BN components and their native leaders is highly questionable considering that lands can be set aside for grazing reserves but are not set aside as native reserves. Section 79 clearly provides for land to be set aside as native reserves for the purpose of providing land for future cultivation by natives. This provides security for future generations of natives. By their actions, the government is treating the natives worse than cattle, cows and goats.

The next question that begged to be answered is whether the government is on a “KetuananMelayu” or “Malaya” agenda on behalf of their political masters.

When Sabah’s founding fathers agreed to the merger with Malaya, it was clearly spelt out that the indigenous natives of Sabah and Sarawak would be equal to the Malays in the Peninsular. This is clearly entrenched in Article 153 of the Federal Constitution and land rights were clearly reserved for state control as seen in the Federal Constitution, the BatuSumpah in Keningau and the separate Land Ordinance in Sabah and Sarawak.

Why is it now that the government is adopting a policy similar to the National Land Code, 1965 in Peninsular where native customary rights are not recognized unlike the Sabah Land Ordinance? In Peninsular, the poor Orang Asli, the indigenous natives are deprived of their lands and very often the lands grabs are by the Umno/BN politicians and their cronies.

In the present system, the authority and decision of the Director in alienating lands to anyone under Section 9 of the Land Ordinance cannot even be appealed as provided in Section 41.

In Sabah, we must stop the deterioration immediately. If the government feels that there is any doubt or ambiguity in the Land Ordinance as to the existence of NCR of the natives, steps must be taken immediately to pass the necessary amendments to the Land Ordinance and the Sabah State Constitution to specifically recognize and implement NCR and native rights. This can be done quite easily as the BN controls 57 of the 60 state seats and for certain the other 3 opposition members are likely to support such an amendment.

If STAR Sabah is part of the government, it will certainly propose such measures to clearly and unequivocally recognize native land rights and NCR and to prioritize Sabah’s lands for Sabahans as spelt out in its Land Reforms Masterplan.

It is wrong for the Government not to give priority to natives and Sabahans in land alienation. The Director of Land in January 2012 disclosed that out of 2.1 million hectares of land available for alienation, the State had already alienated about 1.9 million hectares of which only 31% was alienated to natives and the other 69% to others.

From the State economical point of view, it does not make sense for lands to be alienated to outsiders who do not invest their profits derived from Sabah’s lands and such profits are then taken to the Peninsular and utilized there to generate further economic growth.

For instance, FELDA was alienated some 306,000 acres of land in Sabah but very little benefit has been given to local Sabahans let alone natives. The government-linked Sime Darby owns a 54,278 hectares plantation land in Sabah while 2 other public-listed companies from the Peninsular owned 107,000 hectares and 40,359 hectares in Sabah respectively. These 3 companies owned a total 201,637 hectares excluding Felda’s holding.

The profits per hectare for the plantations declared by the public companies for 2011 were RM11,075 and RM9,783. Even assuming the lower of the profits declared, a total profits of RM1.972 billion were derived from Sabah for the 201,637 hectares and this did not even include profits from processing activities.

If the 201,637 hectares were to be distributed 5 hectares to each family, a total of 40,000 families will each enjoy a profit of RM49,300 per family each year which excludes labour costs. Imagine what economic spin-offs and multiplier effects the profits can generate for the Sabah economy, let alone the eradication of poverty.

A SABAH LAND TRIBUNAL should also be established to look into, adjudicate and resolve the numerous land problems and disputes. The natives should not be made to wait and spend unnecessarily to litigate their claims for NCR in the civil courts where at the appeal stages, the judges from outside Sabah, who are not familiar with native land rights and more familiar with the Peninsular National Land Code, outnumber the local judges.

STAR Sabah proposed that Land Administration in Sabah be reformed and be administered as in the Chart below:-

As for communal titles, the government should not rush and give out communal titles as though it is done for political campaigning in view of the forthcoming general elections.

They appear nothing more than to appease the anger of the local natives who will vote against the BN government and their leaders who have alienated their NCR lands to outside companieswho in turn have destroyed their crops, plants, homes and evicted them from their own land.

Communal titles should only be given additionally as native reserves where they are occupied. In the communal titles given, the government has failed to consider the legitimate claims of NCR by the natives some of whom have been there for several generations and pending approval of their NCR claims for years, some even decades.

With these communal titles are issued, the legitimate claims and NCR ownership of these natives are not only ignored but also extinguished and cancelled. It is not the right thing to do against the natives and you can expect the government to be punished at the next general elections.

In conclusion, it is clear that the native customary rights and native land rights need to be clearly recognized and protected. The reference to Section 88 is misconceived as Section 88 merely reinforces the fact that after the coming of the Land Ordinance, the system of registration is to be put in place and it does not extinguish NCR per se but require new title and new dealings to be on the basis of registration for any land except land under NCR without documentary title as at the time of the dealing or registration.

If the intention of the legislators of the Land Ordinance was to extinguish or abolish NCR and native land rights, the wordings of the Land Ordinance would have been very different in form and it would have clearly left out native customary rights totally.

In view of the erroneous and misleading statements of the Director of Lands and Surveys and by the State Attorney General previously, the onus is now on the State government and its local BN components to prove that it is not planning to abolish the native land rights and NCR.

Apparently, from the numerous land alienations to companies overriding the NCR claims of the natives all over the State, it appears to be the policy of the government to abolish the native land rights and NCR and not an erroneous mistake by the Director.

The BN government needs to change the policy which is clearly contrary to the Land Ordinance.

And if the BN government does not make the necessary reforms and changes in the land policy, then it is only right for Sabahans especially the natives to unite and vote out the Umno/BN government in the coming general elections since the government is unable to implement and protect the land rights of the natives.

Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan

Chairman

STAR Sabah

02 October 2012

This is good about Mahathir!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 16:15:00 +0000

This is good! Now whose DNA in Mahathir's being? ;-) Subject: : HARRIS IBRAHIM 'S COMMENT ON DR MAHATHIR MOHAMED - A MUST READ]

VERY INTERESTING READ....

Subject: HARRIS IBRAHIM 'S COMMENT ON DR MAHATHIR MOHAMED - A MUST READBy Harris Ibrahim.

Dear Mahathir,

Malaysian Insider reports that you had "defended the social contract, the so-called unwritten agreement between the Malays and the non-Malays during independence, by affirming that without the agreement, Malaysia would not have been formed".

They quoted you :

"If there was no social contract, the terms and conditions of allowing citizenship to non-Malays would have not taken place.One million outsiders were given citizenships at the time."

Now, this quote from you got me curious. Let me tell you why.

I conferred with my aunt, who confirmed that my maternal great grandfather, Eliathamby, of whom I've written previously in a posting entitled "The land that my forefathers helped build", would have left Ceylon and arrived in what is now West Malaysia, around 1870. He died well before the conclusion of that social contract that you spoke of, so my great grandfather would not have come within those 'one million outsiders' who acquired citizenship at the time of independence in 1957.

My maternal grandfather, Vellupillay T. Williams, never lived to see the formation of Malaya so he, too, did not make up the'one million outsiders'.

Enough of my family tree. Let's look at yours. I got this from a blog, Malaysiana:

Perhaps, the most famous Malayalee to land in George Town was Iskandar Kutty, a merchant who married a Johor-Riau wife Siti Hawa Iskandar. They became the proud parents of Alor Star's top public school Sultan Abdul Hamid College 's founder-principal and Kedah's royal educator Datuk Mohamad Iskandar.

Mohamad was the school teacher of Tunku Abdul Rahman. He and his wife Datin Wan Tempawan Wan Hanafi from the Kedah Bendahara's (Prime Minister's) clan, were the proud parents of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's Father of Modernisation and fourth Prime Minister.

And this from Malaysia Today: Born in December 20, 1925, Dr Mahathir hailed from the state of Kedah, at the capital of Alor Star, whose father was a school teacher. His father was Indian who migrated from Kerala, who married a malay lady and sold banana fritters during the second world war. His early education was through vernacular school and at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College in the city.

My question, then, Doc, firstly is whether your father was amongst the'one million outsiders'?

And when did you become 'Malay', Doc?

When did you move from being a son of an Indian who migrated from Kerala to a Malay?

Not that I care, but when?

Speaking of Malay, do you remember your "Malay Dilemma", Doc? Do you remember what you said about the problem of inbreeding amongst the Malay community, and that whole business of genes? Back then, who had heard of this thing called DNA?

Who had ever imagined that science would one day make it possible for all of us to trace our genealogy?

Guess what, Doc? It seems, based on all this new DNA scientific knowledge, that there's no such thing as a Malay race.

It would seem that you've gone from being a son of anIndian who migrated from Keralato a 'does not exist'.

Just like that! My cyber buddy, Michael Chick, has written extensively on this matter, in a three-parter in Malaysiakini. HERE,HERE, and HERE.

See what Michael writes in his final part :

"The people Malaysians call 'Malay', are actually only a tiny sub-component of the much larger Austronesian group. And all Austronesians are the end-product of extensive inter-breeding between the Taiwanese and Dravidic Indians. All this has finally been irrefutably proven by independent DNA testings from world-class faculties".

I've never been very good at all these sciences, Doc, but if you're any better, and you think Michael's cocked-up big time in his conclusions, why don't you take him on?

Damn, I digress.

So when and how did you become Malay? Because of the definition of 'Malay' in the Federal Constitution, Doc? Article 160 (2)? That right?

So, right up until the last moments before Tunku's declaration of independence, you were the son of an Indian who migrated from Kerala, and moments later you were magically transformed into a Malay?

And is not the definition of Malay in Article 160(2) stated to be for the limited purpose where the word 'Malay' appears in the Constitution?

But really, Doc, I don't give a toss whether you hold yourself out as Malay or the son of an Indian who migrated from Kerala.Whatever turns you on.

What pisses me off is this Bumi-non Bumi crap. November 19th, last year, The Star reported on Najib's balik kampung to Makassar in South Sulawesi . You can read the report HERE.

Courtesy of The Star, Najib is reported to have said : "I feel like I am returning to my roots,"

and, when asked to comment on the possibility that some people might view the fact that he had roots here in a negative light, Najib said:

"I am not apologetic about it. This is my family history and I am proud of it."

According to the report, Najib said he was the direct descendant of Bugis royalty who migrated to Pahang in the 18th century.

Well, at least this Malaysian is not ashamed of his roots!

Now, you know that aunt I mentioned earlier? You know her. Aunty Rasammah.

I googled her name yesterday and this is what is written of her in Wikipedia.

"Rasammah Bhupalan, also known as Rasammah Naomi Navarednamor Mrs F.R. Bhupalan is a renowned Malaysian freedom fighter and social activist

Born in 1927, she has championed causes such as the anti-drug abuse movement, women's rights, education and social justice causes.

Rasammah was one of the earliest women involved in the fight for Malaysian (then Malaya ) independence. She joined the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, the women's wing of the Indian National Army, to fight the British. She served in Burma during World War II.

As founder president of the Women Teacher's Union , she fought for equal pay for women teachers and tried to bring disparate teachers' unions under an umbrella.

The former school principal was the first Asian representative of the World Confederation of Organisations of the Teaching Profess ion for two successive terms. She was also very active in the National Council of Women's Organisation (NCWO) and Pemadam. She was a teacher in the Methodist Boys' School, Kuala Lumpur from 1959 to 1964 and was the principal of the Methodist Girls School , Kuala Lumpur for 13 years from 1970 until she retired in 1982. On 11th November 2007, Mrs.Bhupalan was one of the few veteran teachers who were invited to attend MBSSKL's 110th Anniversary Celebration Dinner. The dinner was specially organized to honour all the former and current teachers of the school".

Quite frankly, I think the write-up in Wikipedia does little justice to all that Aunty Rasammah has done for this country. But that is another matter.

More importantly, Doc, why are you, the son of an Indian who migrated from Kerala, and Najib, the descendant of Bugis who migrated from Sulawesi ,are bumiputra, whilst Aunty Rasammah is not?

IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT MAHATHIR IS A RACIST.

READ HIS BLOG AND YOU WOULD BE REAFFIRMED.

WHILE RETIRED FORMER US PRESIDENT CLINTON IS DOING NOBLE SERVICES AROUND THE GLOBE, MAHATHIR IS BUSY INFUSING IN HIS BLOG WITH WORDS OF ANGER, RACISM (HE IS AN AVID PROPONENT OF "MALAY SUPREMACY" WHICH HE COINED, I BELIEVE) AND NEGATIVE VIBES.

NOTHING IN HIS BLOG CONTAINS WISDOM NOR NOBLE IDEOLOGY THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO HELPING THE POOR;

NOR IN HELPING TO FOSTER A STRONGER BOND AMONG THE RACES IN MALAYSIA.

IS HE A GREAT LEADER?

YOUR VERDICT IS AS GOOD AS MINE.

Pakatan budget: what are in store for Sabah and Sarawak?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:46:00 +0000

September 27, 2012

The Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak will have a better deal in the Pakatan Rakyat’s budget 2013 as it pledges that in the spirit of Kuching Declaration, it is committed to fulfilling any and all obligations on the part of the federal government.

The Declaration signed in Kuching recently affirms to honour the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963, which among others seeks to restore Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya as equal partners, fair representation in Parliament, citizenship, to restore native customary rights over land, to appoint locals to head federal government departments in the states, oil justice and equitable development.

“Pakatan Rakyat shall honour the pledge to increase petroleum royalty to the oil producing states to 20%. This is expected to bring additional RM12.5 billion to the states of Kelantan, Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu in the country so far.

“The disbursement of the petroleum royalty will come with a strict transparency and accountability procedure to ensure that every sen of the petroleum royalty goes to the people,” the Pakatan coalition said.

It said: “Pakatan Rakyat is critical of the favourable treatment given to well-connected corporations such as SapuraKenchana in benefitting from risk-sharing contracts (RCSs) for marginal fields when no similar effort was made to invest in the future of the rakyat from the oil producing states.

“There are enough skills, expertise and resources from the states to develop their own second-tier oil and gas companies that can use the RSCs for the marginal fields as a training ground before competing in the wider oil and gas market, not unlike the experience of Petronas in its formative years.

“The legacy and benefit of oil and gas resources inn the states can be harvested well beyond the expiry life of the resources itself. The emergence of second-tier oil and gas companies owned by the states retains the skills and expertise in the company that can eventually compete elsewhere, even

when the hydrocarbon resources are fully depleted in Malaysia,” the coalition said.

Pakatan Rakyat will work with the state governments to establish state-owned second-tier oil and gas companies for Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu and Kelantan and other oil-producing states to benefit the financial investments made into marginal fields through risk-sharing contracts (RSCs).

In the budget, the construction of the Pan-Borneo Highway will be given top priority by the Pakatan Rakyat.

Under the present BN government the disparity of road coverage in the peninsula against Sabah and Sarawak is very glaring.

While the road network has reached 35,734 km in the peninsula by 2009, the combined road network in Sabah and Sarawak is only 10,171.

“Sabah and Sarawak are in dire need of a massive upgrade of its road networks, especially considering that its oil and gas resources have contributed largely to indirectly funding the infrastructure development in the rest of the country.

“Pakatan Rakyat undertakes to commence the design and construction of the Pan-Borneo Highway connecting Kuching to Kota Kinabalu and east coast of Sabah as part of its promise to bring development in Sabah and Sarawak to be at par with the rest of the country.

“A Pakatan Rakyat federal government will also undertake to assess the financial impact and viability of upgrading and extending the rail networks in Sabah and Sarawak which currently stands at 134 km.” It said.

USD15 Billion! – Taib Is The Richest Man In Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 18:36:00 +0000

Thief Minister! Taib’s abuse of his position in Sarawak over more than three decades has led to him becoming Malaysia’s richest individual, says BMF.

He is the man who cashed-in an entire jungle of valuable hard timber. He is also the man who controls all the land titles for an area roughly the size of England, a position which he has systematically abused to enrich himself.

Sarawak Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud, is furthermore the gate-keeper for all the state and federal contracts handed out in Sarawak and he has privatised most of its key industries into his own family companies.

Taib family line up – once all poor now vastly rich, thanks to Taib’s illegal abuse of his position as Chief Minister

So it should come as little surprise that the latest audit on the Mahmud family, conducted by the Swiss NGO the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), has estimated his wealth at a staggering USD15 billion.

It makes him Malaysia’s richest man, with his illegally gained assets topping those of the ‘sugar king’ Robert Kuok, who leads the Forbes Rich List for Malaysias with a mere USD12 billion.

BMF, which campaigns on environmental and indigenous issues in Sarawak, makes clear that this is a conservative estimate of the Chief Minister’s wealth, acquired through 30 years of systematic and documented plunder of Sarawak’s wealth and natural resources.

The audit, which forms part of a report entitled “The Taib Timber Mafia. Facts and Figures on Politically Exposed Persons from Sarawak, Malaysia” was released today in Brussels to mark the visit of the Malaysian Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Bernard Dompok, to the European Commission.

Environmental organisations have protested against any timber agreements with Malaysia until the corrupt and unrestrained logging practices are ended in Sarawak and in Sabah.

“More money than I could ever spend”

The report describes Taib as “The Godfather of a family business empire” with illicit assets in excess of USD20billion, of which his personal worth forms at least USD15 billion and:

“..describes in detail the business activities and personal wealth of twenty members of the Taib family, one of South East Asia’s most notorious kleptocratic clans with business interests in Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries”. [BMF release]

The charity declares its audit has been drawn up after a comprehensive analysis of the evidence now available relating to Taib and his family’s business assets, land grabs, concessions and contracts.

Altogether, the assets of 20 members of the Chief Minister’s family are analysed totalling a combined estimated wealth of USD21million. These members include Taib’s four children, his siblings, cousin Hamed Sepawi and also his two son-in-laws and brother-in-law, Robert Geneid, who have been absorbed into the family concerns.

The report lends substance to Taib’s own boasts on the campaign trail at last year’s state election that he has “more money than I could ever spend”!

Time Najib took action!

This latest revelation raises yet again the issue of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s failure to take action over this rogue Chief Minister, whose greed and corruption has now reached legendary status even in Malaysia, where political corruption is commonplace.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has acknowledged it has opened an investigation into Taib, following numerous denunciations and also numerous reports containing solid information on this site.

However, until it gets the political green light, it is sadly well-known that the MACC lacks the independence to act.

The PM did try to encourage the failing 75 year old to step down before the recent state election. However, Taib refused to quit out of a justifiable fear that once removed from office he could be prosecuted.

A public promise was extracted that Taib would move soon after that state election, but with a Federal Election, G13, now on the horizon there is little sign he plans to make good the promise.

Dunging class to begin in October

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:02:00 +0000

KUCHING: Is there anyone interested to study the unique Dunging Alphabet?

Named after the inventor of the alphabet himself, Dunging Anak Gunggu, it will be a great privilege to learn it.

Being one of Dunging’s grand nephews, Assoc. Professor Dr. Bromeley Philip had gone some great distance in refining and promoting the only known Iban system of writing.

Dr Bromeley has agreed to work closely with Winstep Management Solutions to conduct classes not only to revive it but to ensure that it is widely studied and known among the Iban in particular.

Dr Bromeley is the authority on the subject and is among the few of his close relatives who have seriously researched on the Dunging alphabet.

Classes will begin on October 15, 2012. As there are limited places available, the intake will be based on a ‘first-come first-served’ basis.

To complete the course, you need to complete 28 hours of study, each session will last two hours. There will be three sessions per week.

To know more about the class, there will be a free talk/preview on Dunging alphabet on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at Kuching Park Hotel, Jalan Padungan starting from 10.00 am.

If you are interested to attend the talk, contact the programme Secretariat, Edwin John at 019-8349790 to register and confirm your attendance as seats are limited.

Ends.

PR leaders sign Kuching Declaration

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 20:05:00 +0000

September 16, 2012

KUCHING: The leaders of Pakatan Rakyat signed the ‘Kuching Declaration’ in conjunction with Malaysia Day celebration to pledge and promise to the nation and the people of Malaysia that when they form the next government of Malaysia they will honour all its pledges and promises.

The de facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Anwar Ibrahim signed on behalf of his party, while Lim Kit Siang, DAP National adviser signed on behalf of DAP and Haji Abdul Hadi Awang, PAS President signed on behalf of PAS.

Also affixing their signatures on the declaration were also state leaders. Sarawak PKR Chief Baru Bian signed on behalf of PKR, while Wong Ho Leng, Sarawak DAP Chairman signed on behalf of DAP and Haji Adam Ahid, PAS Commissioner on behalf of his party.

The Declaration reads: “Lest we forget, and lest all the peoples of our great Nation of Malaysia forget, we the undersigned do once again firmly, resolutely and unequivocally pledge and promise before the whole Nation of Malaysia as our witness, on this historically day the 16^th of September, 2012, in the City of Kuching, and on behalf of our respective parties and Pakatan Rakyat will honour all its pledges and promises to the peoples of Malaysia.

“We will honourably execute all the policies set forth in the Buku Jingga so that Malaysia will once again be a great Nation, her peoples prosperous, her future secure and peaceful, and her name celebrated by all the nations of the world.

“We will honour the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 which our founding fathers put their hands to, and as a sign of our deep commitment to the peoples of Sarawak and Sabah, consistent with democratic principles and justice for all Malaysians, in particular:

ARTICLE ONE: EQUAL PARTNERS

“We will restore the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement and the position of Sarawak and Sabah as equal partners within Malaysia by restoring autonomy to Sarawak and Sabah within the framework of the Federal Constitution.

ARTICLE TWO: FAIR REPRESENTATION

“We will increase national integration between Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia through a fair power-sharing arrangement that fully upholds the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement.

ARTICLE THREE: CITIZENSHIP

“We will set up a Royal Commission to solve the perennial national problem of illegal immigration and citizenship, particularly in Sarawak and Sabah.

ARTICLE FOUR: RESTORATION OF NATIVE CUSTOMARY RIGHTS OVER LAND

“We will endorse the authority already vested in the State Laws of Sarawak and Sabah to set up Land Commissions to investigate, resolve disputes, redress, survey and restore Native Customary Rights over Native Customary Lands.

ARTICLE FIVE: COMPETENT SARAWAK AND SABAH

“We will endorse the appointment of Sarawak and Sabah citizens to head Government Departments in their own respective States and by the powers vested in the State Secretaries of both States as well as give first priority to the appointment of Sarawak and Sabah citizens at Federal Government level functioning within Sarawak and Sabah.

ARTICLE SIX: OIL JUSTICE

“We will raise the royalties paid on petroleum and hydrocarbon resources to Sarawak and Sabah to 20% from the present 5%.

ARTICLE SEVEN: EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT

“We will bring the level of infrastructure development in Sarawak and Sabah up to par with Peninsular Malaysia.

“We, the undersigned, make this declaration as an incontrovertible contract between the Pakatan Rakyat and the peoples of Malaysia, this historic day of 16^th September, 2012 on Malaysia Day, so that it may ring out resoundingly from Malaysia’s high forest hills down to the open sea; so that freedom may ever reign; and our peoples live in unity!”

DAP Malaysia Day Message

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 18:48:00 +0000

DAP Malaysia Day Message By DAP Secretary-General And Member Of Parliament For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu On 15.9.2012.

Reclaiming Sabah And Sarawak’s Status In The Federal Constitution As Equal Partners With Peninsular Malaysia With Emphasis On 5 Critical Areas Of Political And Socio-Economic Development.

On 16.9.1963, both Sabah and Sarawak joined Peninsular Malaysia as equal partners to form Malaysia under the Federal Constitution. 49 years later, Sabah and Sarawak has emerged as unequal partners as compared with Peninsular Malaysia. This has caused widespread resentment and even disillusionment that Sabahans and Sarawakians have gone backwards and lost out in almost every aspect as compared to Peninsular Malaysia.

Despite huge natural resources, Sabah remains the poorest state in Malaysia and both states’ roads and infrastructure are nothing compared to Peninsular Malaysia. If PR wins power, PR will reclaim Sabah and Sarawak’s status in the Federal Constitution as equal partners with Peninsular Malaysia with emphasis on 6 critIcal areas of political and socio-economic development.

The choice for Sabah is clear whether they wish to remain as the poorest state in Malaysia or change and aspire to be the richest state in Malaysia with these 6 fundamental changes.

1. Equitable share of oil and natural gas by increasing from 5% to 20% to resolve long-standing problems relating to economy, education and poverty eradication;

2. Improve the disgraceful state of road infrastructure as well as upgrade existing ports and airports.

3. Ensure adequate and uninterrupted supply of water and electricity. Install free wifi in public places to provide internet access and connectivity for all.

4. Establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry to take action against those responsible and resolve the crisis of illegal citizens;

5. Appoint wherever possible Sabahans for the government positions in Federal and state departments; and

6. A people-centric land policy by ensuring that those holding public political posts are not qualified to apply for state land; no removal or degradation of 999 year land titles to 99 years; and automatic renewal of land leases upon expiry with payment of only 10% of land premium(90% discount).

Bian hits out at Dr M over ‘be patient’ remark

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 01:44:00 +0000

The former premier had reportedly said that the people of Sabah and Sarawak be patient for the implementation of development in their states.

KUCHING: The blatant statement by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad asking the people of Sarawak and Sabah to be patient for the implementation of development perfectly demonstrates to the people in the Borneo states what the Barisan Nasional government thinks of us, said Baru Bian, chairman of Sarawak PKR.

“We are regarded as the ignorant and unquestioning fixed deposit states that are in this country to be milked dry to fund the excessive spending crazes in Peninsular Malaysia.

“We have been patient for 49 years. How many more years does this old man think he can fool us to wait?” asked Bian, who is Ba’Kelalan state assemblyman.

Mahathir was reported to have told reporters that the people of Sabah and Sarawak must be patient to wait for natural resources to be extracted and foreign investments to materialise before experiencing the same tempo of development as those in the peninsula.

He said: “In truth, I think the development of Sabah and Sarawak has outstripped the peninsula. Sarawak has the highest foreign direct investment and Sabah has the largest reserves of petroleum in the country.

“Just be patient and wait for the resources to be extracted and soon your earnings (and development) will increase,” Mahathir said.

Bian asked: “What does he mean by saying ‘Just be patient and wait for the resources to be extracted and soon your earnings (and development) will increase’?

“Umno and BN have been making huge ‘withdrawals’ from our oil and gas resources for over 30 years now, while giving the rakyat of Sarawak and Sabah crumbs to keep us quiet.

“I wish to ask him in his capacity as Petronas advisor what Petronas has been doing in Sabah and Sarawak all these years if not extracting our precious resources,” he said.- Free Malaysia Today

Did Taib ‘surrender’ oil right to BN?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 18:16:00 +0000

Taib Mahmud was the federal-level Primary Industries Minister in charge of oil and gas when the Petroleum Act 1974 was passed by Parliament.

COMMENT

KUCHING: Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s turnaround on the oil royalty issue after 31 years in power and the fact that he preferred “private” and “amicable discussions” with the federal government have raised more questions.

Uppermost on the list is whether Taib and his predecessor and uncle, Abdul Rahman Yakub, had knowingly “surrendered” Sarawak’s rights over oil and gas to the federal government.

Sarawakians who have read Taib’s biography – “A Soul You Can See” – written by Douglas Bullis and who remember their history, would recall that Taib was the federal-level Primary Industries Minister who was in charge of the nation’s oil and gas resources.

This being the case, was Taib responsible for the lopsided oil agreement and the Petroleum Development Act passed in Parliament in 1974?

The Act was passed following a confrontation between Opec (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and oil companies over oil price policies in 1973.

Expounding on the 1973 “crisis”, Taib was quoted by Bullis as saying: “By 1973 I realised Malaysia and the oil companies were headed for a confrontation over their purchase price policies.

“There was too much take and too little give, and Malaysia’s people have an ethic based on balance,” Taib had said in page 88 of the book.

“Eventually I came up with the idea that we should base Malaysia’s oil concession policy on shared production agreements.

“Naturally I was snubbed by oil companies who claimed the Malaysian government was moving towards nationalisation.”

Taib’s silence

Bullis said that it was obvious that Malaysia’s post-1974 policy on taking control of Malaysia’s petroleum interests from oil companies was largely Taib’s works.

It is well known in Sabah that its then chief minister Mustapha Harun and his successor Fuad (Donald) Stephens refused to sign the oil agreement giving 5% of oil royalty to Sabah, but Sarawak under Abdul Rahman was said to be “too willing” and signed the agreement.

But the question is: Did the nephew and the uncle “surrender” Sarawak’s rights over oil and gas to the federal government in order to please the then prime minister Abdul Razak in return for political and financial support?

Sarawak was at that time in turmoil following the sacking of its chief minister Stephen Kalong Ningkan in 1966.

At the time there were incessant allegations by the Parti Pesaka anak Sarawak president Temenggong Jugah anak Barieng that the Ibans were shabbily treated by Abdul Rahman and Taib.

Abdul Rahman was also facing an “internal rebellion” against his leadership from within Pesaka, which had by then (in 1973) merged with Parti Bumiputera to form Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).

At the point of signing the oil agreement, Sarawak was said to be politically unstable and needed the support of the federal government.

Could history be the reason why Taib has been silent on the royalty issue during his 31-year tenure as chief minister? And why he has been compliant to Umno in the peninsula, having pumped millions into its coffers?

What off-the-table deal did Taib and Abdul Rahman eventually strike with the federal leadership that allowed them to sustain Sarawak’s “independence” as opposed to Sabah’s “colonialisation” by Kuala Lumpur?

What has now compelled Taib to call for re-negotiations on the oil royalty issue?

It certainly cannot be fear of losing his grip in Sarawak because he has already won the state election held in April last year.

If it is the parliamentary election, Sarawak BN coalition is unlikely to lose more than 10 of the 31 parliamentary seats. And that too the losses will come from Chinese-based Sarawak United People’s Party, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party and Parti Rakyat Sarawak. Less likely will it be from Taib’s own PBB.

So what then is compelling Taib to go to the “private” negotiation table? What cards will he pull and how will he keep “wanting” Umno away from Sarawak?- Free Malaysia Today

Hydro Tasmania admits lack of anti-corruption audits in "100 billion dollar" Sarawak dam scheme

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:05:00 +0000

BRUNO MANSER FUND, BASEL, SWITZERLAND

23rd August 2012 – for immediate release

Roy Adair, CEO of Hydro Tasmania, confirms company's involvement in controversial Malaysian rainforest dam constructions – Hydro Tasmania downplays compliance deficits of Sarawak Energy, its Malaysian business partner

(HOBART, TASMANIA) Roy Adair, the CEO of Australian state-owned energy provider Hydro Tasmania, said yesterday his company had no audits in place to prevent Hydro Tasmania’s participation in projects that involve corruption.

In an interview with the Australian ABC Radio, Adair admitted that only general “pre-bid checks” were done on Sarawak Energy, a Malaysian dam builder and business partner, prior to Hydro Tasmania’s engagement in a “100 billion dollar” energy project in Sarawak. He said that “not so much auditing” on potential corrupt practices of Sarawak Energy had been done.

Sarawak Energy is owned by the Malaysian state of Sarawak and chaired by Hamed Sepawi, a cousin and close business associate of long-term Sarawak Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud (“Taib”). Taib is currently under investigation by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) for corruption and abuse of public office. Taib’s last major energy project, the 2,400 MW Bakun mega-dam, had been labelled by Transparency International as a “monument of corruption”.

In an attempt to downplay Hydro Tasmania’s involvement in Sarawak’s dam building spree, Adair said his company role was “relatively minimal” as it was only earning 3 million dollars from its Sarawak business. However, Adair failed to acknowledge the central role plaid by Hydro Tasmania engineers such as Andrew Pattle. The latter has been the Project Director of the 944 MW Murum dam, which is currently under construction, and has been appointed as the Senior Project Manager for another two proposed dams, Baram (1,200 MW) and Baleh (1,400 MW). Last year, Pattle said that “safety and environmental compliance” were “not given much importance” with dam-building in Malaysia.

The Sarawak dam building spree has drawn heavy criticism from indigenous associations and environmental organizations. The Baram dam alone would displace 20’000 Sarawak natives and flood over 400km2 of tropical rainforests. Yesterday, the Tasmanian Greens called on the Tasmanian Minister for Energy “to recall all of its employees currently involved in environmentally and socially destructive dam building practices in Malaysia.“

Without the expertise of foreign consultants such as Hydro Tasmania, Sarawak Energy would not be in a position to realize its controversial dam plans.

– Ends –

Prove it by solving the problems in Sungai Asap & Batang Ai first

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 02:21:00 +0000

Miri: Save Sarawak’s Rivers (SAVE Rivers) commends a statement by The Senior Minister and Minister of Social Development, Tan Sri William Mawan published in the Borneo Post on the 18th August, 2012, admitting to the shortcomings in Sg Asap resettlement scheme. It is hoped that Tan Sri Mawan would also further clarify that these issues, including similar issues affecting the Batang Ai resettlement, have not been resolved many years after the initial resettlement.

Today, promises are also made to the people of Baram that the government will look after them and will not abandon them. The promise made to them today is the same as was made to them when the exploitation of timber first started in the district in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Those promises were on better standard of living, good roads and infrastructure. They were told that the government always has the interest of the people at heart. It was just like those made to the people of Bakun/Sungai Asap and Batang Ai.

Just like those in Sungai Asap and Batang Ai the promises in Baram are not fulfilled. Over 30 years since the first promises were made; there are no tarred roads or infrastructure for the communities who still eke a basic standard of living today. There is a burning question to how state and federal development funds allocated to the Baram have been spent or were there any such allocation in the first place.

SAVE Rivers would like to see that the government settle all unfulfilled promises made to the people of Bakun and Batang Ai who were forced to make way for these mega-dams, before embarking on building other mega-dams which would negatively affect the lives of many more communities. Building new dams would only add more problems for the government and subject more people to suffer as the consequence. The people affected by Bakun were 10,000 those affected by the Batan Ai 3,000, Murum 1000. But Baram will be about 20,000. So if the government cannot be trusted to meet the need of those in the earlier dams how can they amicably settle those of the 20,000 people?

On the formation of the Baram HEP Consultative Committee, the view of SAVE Rivers is that is a futile exercise. Similar committees were formed for Bakun/Sungai Asap years ago but they fail to meet the real needs of the people.

The phrase, "there is no smoke without fire", thus aptly applies to Mawan's complaint about the "spin off these shortcomings in Bakun". If the issues of the mega-dam resettlements in Sarawak were efficiently resolved after many years, there should be no spin.

SAVE Rivers urges Mawan to take his own advice, whereby the current ruling party should act as problem-solvers, particularly of societal and environmental problems they have created.

Peter Kallang, Chairperson of SAVE Sarawak, comments, "politicians should not say good things about the Baram dam just to stay in power. The Baram dam will have a permanent effect on the life and well-being of the people. It would be most irresponsible to make such statement for personal or party interest."

Original Signed

…………………………..

Peter Kallang

Chairman SAVE Rivers

H/Phn: 013 833 1104

Note:

NOTE: SAVE Rivers is a Network of individuals and 8 Malaysian Indigenous Peoples’ Non-Government Organisation NGOs and Community Based Organisations (CBOs), namely

1) Baram Protection Action Committee (BPAC)

2) Borneo Resources Institute, Malaysia (BRIMAS)

3) Indigenous Peoples of Malaysia Network (JOAS)

4) The Sarawak Native Customary Land Rights Network (TAHABAS)

5) Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA)

6) Sarawak Indigenous Lawyers Alliance (SILA)

7) Sarawak Conservation Alliance for Natural Environment (SCANE)

8) Centre for Community Information and Communications (CICOM)

Olympic medalist Pandelela asked to turn down Malaysian potentate’s "special gift“

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:41:00 +0000

BRUNO MANSER FUND, BASEL / SWITZERLAND

20 August 2012 – for immediate release

Malaysian diving champion warned of political manipulation by Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud

The Bruno Manser Fund congratulates Malaysian Olympics medalist Pandelela Rinong Pamg for her fantastic performance at the London Olympics, which won her a bronze medal in the 10 m platform diving event. The Sarawak diver was the first Malaysian woman to win an Olympic medal.

However, the Swiss human rights organization warns the diving champion from political manipulation by Sarawak potentate Taib Mahmud ("Taib“). Last week, Taib announced he would reward the 19-year old bronze medallist with a "special gift“ upon her return to Sarawak. Pandelela is a Bidayuh native of Sarawak, a Malaysian state that is home to over 40 indigenous peoples

"Taib Mahmud has abused his political power and done more harm to Sarawak’s indigenous peoples than any other Malaysian politician“, the Bruno Manser Fund wrote in a statement.

"He lacks the moral legitimacy to make a special gift to an outstanding Bidayuh champion like Pandelela. We call on Pandelela Rinong Pamg not to let herself be politically manipulated and advise her to politely turn down Taib’s 'special gift’.“

Taib Mahmud has been Chief Minister of Sarawak since 1981. He has abused his public office in a spectacular way and has granted his family members logging and plantation concessions over several hundred thousand hectares of native lands. Last year, research by the Bruno Manser Fund showed that Taib family members are stakeholders in more than 400 coompanies in 25 countries, worth several billion US dollars.

It is feared that Taib is planning to abuse Pandelela’s Olympic success to boost his own dwindling popularity.

"The only gift Pandelela should accept from Taib is his resignation as Chief Minister, which would be a relief to the whole of Sarawak.“

- Ends -

PRS wants more Community leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:38:00 +0000

KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak wants total revamp to a system of appointing community leaders in the state, who have now become a political tool of the state Barisan Nasional to ‘suppress and oppress’ (to borrow a famous term by Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu), those who do not support the Barisan Nasional.

“Indeed the community leaders have now become the ‘eyes and ears’ of the government, and report directly to their respect elected representatives,” said a senior PRS leader who did not wish to be named.

The case of Frusis Lebi came into mind. Frusis had his welfare allowance and agricultural subsidies withdrawn when his case of supporting the Opposition was reported by his Tuai Rumah to the local representative.

“In fact they (community leaders) will help strengthen the position of the political party in the rural areas,” he said, pointing out that in Sarawak Temenggong is the highest in the hierarchy of the community leaders.

In Iban, the Tuai Rumah (longhouse headman) is at the bottom of the list. His responsibility is towards the security and development of people in his longhouse. Often, he is the chairman of the longhouse security and development committee (JKKK). A step higher than the Tuai Rumah is a Penghulu who controls a number of longhouses.

Coming next is the Pemanca. A number of Penghulu is under his wing.

Likewise, a number of Pemanca is under the Temenggong.

Unlike the days of pre-independence when Tuai Rumah, Penghulu, Pemanca and Temenggong were elected by the people and were basically native courts judges, but today they are appointed by the parties in the government. Often they are also grassroots leaders of political parties especially within the Barisan Nasional.

“The strength of a party especially in the rural areas is determined by the number of community leaders it can appoint as they are the ones who control the rural dwellers,” said the PRS leader, pointing out that sometimes they are being used to intimidate their own followers or even used to prevent the opposition from entering the longhouses.

In the previous elections, they were also used as campaigners and ‘distributors’ of funds to voters in their respective longhouses.

The community leaders are obligated to do what their political masters want them to do, since they receive monthly allowances ranging from RM450.00 for Tuai Rumah to RM650.00 for Penghulu, RM750 for Pemanca and to RM850.00 for Temenggong.

The appointment of community leaders especially the Tuai Rumah has also other negative effects on the longhouse folk as everyone scrambles to curry favours with the local elected representatives, and in the process it creates a lot of enmity and animosity amok the longhouse people.

Even among the component parties of the Barisan Nasional, the appointment of community leaders can create suspicions.

This is what is happening now.

And for this reason and others, PRS President James Masing has formed a committee in his party to relook at the community leader appointment system with a view to ensure fairness in the distribution of the community leaders among the component parties of the Barisan Nasional.

The committee is headed by Vice-President John Sikie Tayai.

Masing said: “The main aim of the committee will be to come up with an appointment system which better reflects the ethnic composition of an area.

“This would involve taking a close look at the criteria for the appointment of community leaders such as Temenggong, Pemanca, Penghulu and Tuai Rumah or Tua Kampong among in particular the Dayak Community.

“Once we have made the findings, PRS will then forward its recommendations to the state government,” said Masing, who is a senior minister and Minister for Land Development.

PRS and Masing have every right to be moaned the treatment meted out at the party.

Even though PRS denies that it is being bullied or treated like ‘anak tiri’ (adopted child), facts speak volumes of how the party is being treated in respect of the appointment of community leaders as well as other political appointments – posts of political secretaries and directors of government-linked companies.

Citing the appointment of Temenggong as an example, a PRS leader said the party has no Temenggong in all the 11 divisions of the State Administration.

“We did recommend Asan Ngang to be the Temenggong of the Iban Community for the Limbang Division to the State Task force following the retirement of Temenggong Jarum. His nomination was rejected by the Task force.

“And for several years now, Limbang has no Iban Temenggong,” he said.

Even Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party has no Temenggong in its fold.

The task force is said to be headed by Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang, who is also the Deputy President of PBB.

PBB appoints its own men or those who have close links with PBB as Temenggong. For example, former Kapit MP from PBB James Jimbun as Temenggong of Kuching, Samarahan – Temenggong Anthony Nyipa, Sri Aman – Temenggong Kanang Anak Langkau, Betong – Temenggong Nunong Anak Danan, Sibu – Temenggong Adrian Ranggau, Kapit – Temenggong Kenneth Kanyan, Bintulu – Temenggong Kelambu Ak Medan, and Miri – Temenggong Wilson Atong Anak Limping.

Even PRS’s recommendations for some of its men to be appointed as Pemanca, Penghulu and longhouse chiefs have been rejected.

Undoubtedly, PBB has little respect for PRS which is the ‘youngest’ of the four-party BN coalition in the State. It was registered on October 24, 2004 the day Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak was deregistered by the Registrar of Societies.

PRS was supposed to take over the place of PBDS, and has been fighting for the rights and interest of the Dayaks, the Ibans in particular. But it is being treated with suspicions by especially PBB until today because the majority of its members were once PBDS’ hardcore supporters.

“We are still being regarded with suspicions even though we mean well in the so-called power sharing of the Barisan Nasional,” said a PRS leader.

District Officer behaves like a little napoleon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 17:45:00 +0000

KUCHING: Bau District Officer Simon Japut, who is also the Chairman of Bau district council behaves more like a ‘little napoleon’ rather than a civil servant who should be humble, courteous and be responsive to the people’s complaints, said Mordi Bimol, a special assistant to Chong Chieng Jen, the Kota Sentosa Assemblyman and the MP for Bandar Kuching.

“I am quite frustrated with a statement made by Japut which appeared in a local daily regarding complaints made by the people about poor maintenance and inefficient garbage collection in Kpg Serikin.

“Kpg. Serikin, which is a very popular week-end shopping centre, is also a tourist attraction, and yet rubbish remains uncollected which is an eye-score not only to the villagers, but also to the shoppers and tourists,” he said.

“It is giving us a bad image,” Bimol said, pointing out that Japut refused to accept responsibility.

“Instead he puts the blame on those who made the complaints as politicising the whole issue,” he said.

Last Monday Japut had described the complaints as ‘tidak masuk akal’ (stupid) and that he would not entertain them.

“I am firm in my decision that I will not entertain such stupid complaints,” he added.

“The matter should have been reported to the Bau district council first before going public in the media as this will tarnish the name of the civil servants,” Japut said angrily.

“And by the way, who is this Mordi Bimol? I don’t know him,” Japut said, pointing out that the Opposition should not politicise the issue of rubbish collection.

Responding to the harsh words used by the District Officer, Bimol said: “Local authorities such as council should not take any complaint made by any political party especially opposition as a threat.

“Any political party tries to serve the people and it is the job of the politicians to voice out people’s complaints and problems.

“Media is one of the channels for the public and even political parties to share the community problems. So, local authorities should take this positively, investigate and solve the problem.

“Instead of saying those harsh words, he should investigate on the matter, whether it is true or not, and solve it. I am not pointing fingers...but I just want to share the problems and want the council to take a relevant action on the matter.

“Maybe he should go and visit the place to see the real situation of that place,” he said.

Bimol said that he visited Kpg Serikin last Thursday, and saw the problem, and interviewed few groups of residents.

“They are complaining...so it is my job to help them and voice out this matter,” he said.

He noted that RM2 is collected each day since 2004 from each Indonesian who operates a stall. Roughly there are 400 stalls operating on both Saturday and Sunday in that border village.

“Counting on the amount of money collected for eight years, residents of Kpg Serikin are very frustrated with the poor service provided by the council.

“They should improve their efficiency to service the people as efficient as they collect the money.

“According to the residents, the garbage collection supposed to be twice a week (Monday and Friday). However, garbage collection is done only once a week and in fact, sometimes only once in two weeks.

“Therefore, the trash containers which are located at the end of that village are always full and spill out,” he said, pointing out that “this in turn causes the problem of bad smell and a dirty environment”.

“We are very concerned on this matter because Kampung Serikin is one of the best tourist attraction places in Bau which never fails to attract tourists every weekend.

“Proven as a good tourism place, it is very important for those relevant authorities or government agencies to work together with the residents of that village to maintain and improve the area to keep the area clean and healthy.

“This little problem might affect the impression of the tourists to Kpg Serikin and might jeopardize the business of the local people.

“So, we must work together to help them to improve whatever facilities needed,” Bimol added.

See Chee How demands apology from Jabu

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 17:37:00 +0000

KUCHING: The state Disaster Relief committee had failed to respond to calls for search and rescue (SAR) operations when the helicopter crash on July 20, 2012 as there was nobody to coordinate the operations, claimed See Chee How vice-Chairman of Sarawak PKR.

In the crash Peter Mayau, an engineer, Siti Khuzaimah Annuar (surveyor) and Henry Loh (architect) were killed. They were on the way to Nanga Merit, Kapit, to inspect a school project when the helicopter crashed at the mouth of Sungai Lingga, Sri Aman.

The pilot, Rico Steger was the sole survivor.

See, who is the Batu Lintang Assemblyman said: “The bodies of the three victims were recovered by civilian volunteers – fishermen and villagers of Sebuyau.

“The disaster relief committee had not done anything,” he said in replying to remarks made by Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang, who is the chairman of the State Disaster Relief, committee.

Jabu had told reporters that he could not be bothered with the criticisms of the Opposition leaders who also wanted him to resign as the Chairman of the Relief committee.

“I will not resign as the chairman of the committee as demanded by the Opposition,” Jabu had told reporters.

“It is up to them to say what they want to say. The bottom line is I am always in contact with our disaster relief headquarters’. I can’t satisfy everybody, but this does not mean I am not in touch with the situations.

“As for the recent helicopter crash, I have sent my condolences to all the families of the three victims. Only God Almighty knows what I am doing,” he had said.

Unhappy with the reply, the PKR leader said: “Jabu was very evasive with his answers when pressed by the reporters for an explanation.

“I think he should personally apologise to the families of the three victims.

“He just said that he has done lot things. He does not want to say that he had done nothing to help in the SAR operations.

“I think he is being irresponsible, because we talk about people’s lives. Just say that you have not done anything and apologise to the family members and promise that you will do better in the future.

“The chairman of the State disaster Relief committee has an important job and carried out heavy responsibilities,” See said, pointing out that when things go wrong, the people expect him to come out and do something.

The Batu Lintang Assemblyman said: “It was unbecoming of Jabu to say ‘let the opposition say whatever they want to say.

“I think this is bad enough. I hope he can be more responsible in answering question by us. We want to know where he was on the day the incident occurred.

“Did the committee initiate the SAR Operations? Were there any boats, helicopters or planes being deployed? And who was in charge? Had the committee met after the crash?

“These questions need answers, but Jabu avoided them.

“It is obvious that he has failed to do anything,” he said, and asked the State Cabinet to remove Jabu and replace with someone who is much younger and more committed.

“If they cannot find anyone suitable, I am prepared to offer myself. Even if the State Cabinets finds someone, I am prepared to volunteer to help,” he said.

Taib’s policy on land drives investors away?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:19:00 +0000

KUCHING: Chief Minister Abdul Taib’s government policy in granting provisional leases on native customary rights (NCR) land to crony companies will not only start ‘wars’ with the natives, but will also drive away potential and genuine oil palm investors, warned See Chee How, State PKR Vice-Chairman.

“The scheme of granting provisional leases (PLs) for planting land to companies (usually crony companies) and allowing them to sell the companies or leases to investors at a huge and lucrative premium has been practised for the last decade.

“However, it was earlier exposed that the scheme was modified and taken further by certain quarters to create superfluous and ostentatious one to rip-off investors, and honest business corporations,” said See, who has been representing the native landowners on NCR land cases in the state.

“This is seriously affecting and hurting the confidence of potential investors not only in land development projects but other projects in the state as well.

“The government should be cautious with the issuance of provisional leases and approval of plantation projects involving native customary rights land,” said See, who is the Batu Lintang Assemblyman.

He added: “The application and approval must be made openly and transparently in accordance with the principles of good governance.

“This is necessary to ensure that the rights of native landowners are safeguarded on the one hand, while the business interests of genuine investors are protected on the other,” he said.

See made the comment in light of two reports of criminal breach of trust charges against former Sime Darby Bhd president and group chief executive officer (CEO) Ahmad Zubair Murshid by the Session Courts in Kuala Lumpur last week which caused Sime Darby to incur RM85mil in losses.

“The arrest and charging of the former Sime Darby CEO puts the state to shame and we certainly hope the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Malaysian-Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to get into the bottom of the matter.

“There is a lesson to be learned from this episode. Both the Chief Minister and Land Development Minister (James Masing) must take note of intensifying strives by certain Barisan Nasional elites in the state creating devious and specious competition with genuine investors coming to Sarawak.

“But the benefits from the competition are wholly for themselves and not benefiting the state,” he said to news media.

The PKR leader pointed out that the charges in connection with the acquisition of the land in Sarikei under the Sarawak Upstream Expansion Plan among others were not the first case where business interests of genuine land development corporations were affected by opaque dealings and incomprehensible award of land leases or approval of land development projects.

“This practice (granting provisional leases) for oil palm to companies and allowing them to sell the leases to investors a huge and lucrative premium has been going on decades,” he said and warned that it would drive away genuine and honest investors and at the same time it would create a conflict between the natives not only with the government but also with the investors.

His legal firm, Baru Bian Advocates and Solicitors, has been handling more than 100 cases, in which the native landowners are suing the government and the companies for taking away their NCR land.

So far the legal firm has won more than 10 cases.

In the first charge, Zubair was accused of failing to take or instruct legal action between November 17, 2008 and November 28, 2008, to rectify the award of NCR land in KJD/Lower Julau, Sg. Julau/Sg. Pitoh/Sg. Jiet and part of Merurun/Meluan/Entabai in Sarikei to Vertical Drive Sdn Bhd and thereby causing Sime Darby to incur losses amounting to some RM85mil for having to acquire Vertical Drive.

In the second charge, he was accused of failing to take or instruct legal action between November 17, 2008 and December 4, 2009 to rectify the award of NCR lands in the confluence of Btg. Rajang/Btg. Baleh, Kapit and the remaining eastern half of the Merurun/Meluan/Entabai and Julau to Nature Ambience Sdn Bhd and thus causing Sime Darby to incur losses amounting to some RM16mil in having to acquire Natural Ambience.

He was also charged with two alternative charges of cheating under Section 418 of the Penal Code. Under these charges, he was accused of failing to inform Sime Darby’s board of directors on November 28, 20078 and December 4, 2009 respectively that the NCR lands in Sarikei had instead been awarded to Vertical Drive and Nature Ambience.

Zubair claimed trial all the charges.