A Miri-based Dayak NGO has taken Sarawak's most senior Dayak minister Alfred Jabu to task for 'once again shortchanging the community' through one of the state government's most praised native customary land development schemes’ commonly known as 'konsep baru' or new concept.
It cited the latest incident which involved the Iban communities from Rumah Belili and Rumah Ranggong situated at Ulu Niah, Miri Division.
Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia (Brimas) executive director Mark Bujang said last Thursday, Jabu (right) handed out a total of RM436,708.20 in dividends and bonuses to 226 participants of the Ulu Niah NCR Joint Venture Project.
It cited the latest incident which involved the Iban communities from Rumah Belili and Rumah Ranggong situated at Ulu Niah, Miri Division.
Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia (Brimas) executive director Mark Bujang said last Thursday, Jabu (right) handed out a total of RM436,708.20 in dividends and bonuses to 226 participants of the Ulu Niah NCR Joint Venture Project.
At first glance, he said, the total amount seems reasonable if the payment of dividends and bonuses are for the year 2008, but upon checking with the participants, it was learnt that this is the first time in 10 years that the JV project has paid out dividends or bonuses.
“If we were to make the assumption that the dividends and bonuses are divided equally among the scheme participants, each participant would receive about RM1,932,” he added.
“If we were to make the assumption that the dividends and bonuses are divided equally among the scheme participants, each participant would receive about RM1,932,” he added.
Divide that by 10 years, he said, each participant would only get RM193 per year. This, he added, is a far cry from the government's promise that the scheme would uplift the socio-economic status of the Dayaks.
Snek Bagat, one of the residents of Rumah Ranggong, said: "I was looking forward to receiving the dividends and bonuses from our investment (in the JV project). But I was shocked to find out that our investment only yielded 50 cents per month after 10 years. Not enough to buy a cup of coffee."
Why the sudden need to do so?
Meanwhile, Bujang questioned the need to hand out dividends and bonuses after 10 years. "Why does the government and the JV company have a sudden interest with the NCR landowners after they have been neglected all these while?"
"Is it because that the community of Rumah Belili and Rumah Ranggong are suing the private investor BLD Resources Sdn. Bhd. for not keeping its end of the bargain?" he asked.
Previously, in 1999, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between BLD Sdn. Bhd (sister company of BLD Resources), Sarawak Land Development Board (SLDB) and the NCR landowners at Ulu Niah, where Rumah Belili and Rumah Ranggong were the participating longhouses, to develop the Ulu Niah NCR land based on the ‘konsep baru’ scheme.
Jabu and the then Sarawak Minister for Housing Celestine Ujang handed out the 10 percent upfront payment worth RM294,990 in 2001.
However, in 2008, a resident of Rumah Ranggong, Changgai Dali was sued by BLD Resources for allegedly trespassing into BLD’s plantation. When Changgai and his longhouse folks disputed this they discovered to their horror that their NCR JV project was cancelled - reason given was the government made a mistake saying the land is NCR.
Commenting on the dividends and bonuses received, Changgai said: "We thank Jabu for handing out the dividends and bonuses to us, but we are not happy with the amount."
"How come after all these years, this is all we get? Jabu not once mentioned the status of our land during the ceremony. When I asked Jabu if he could withdraw the provisional lease of the company, he replied that he does not have the authority," he added.
Problems in other schemes
In another case, Jabu also handed out dividends amounting to RM52 million to 16,480 participants for the year 2008 in another NCR land development scheme managed by another state government agency, the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra), where Jabu is also its chairman.
According to an article sourced from a blogsite, Anilnetto.com, Salcra should have netted profits amounting to RM292 million for 2008 taking into account the price of oil palm that year. Jabu announced that another RM22 million had been set aside for loan repayments.
The article went on to say that the net balance after dividends and loan repayments should have amounted to RM218 million, or RM13,240 per participant.
The article questioned Salcra on where the balance of the money went. The article went on to state that even if 50 percent is withheld to allow for reinvestment and replanting, that would still amount to RM109 million or RM6,620 per participant to be accounted for.
In another NCR JV scheme in Suai, Miri Division, the Penans from Kampung Ugos threatened to withdraw from the said scheme launched by Jabu himself in 1998 if the state government agency the Sarawak Land Development Board (SLDB) did not disclose transparently the official documents, records, JV agreements and statement of accounts of the company.
The Penans also complained that they do not know how SLDB arrived at the amount of dividends paid which is exactly RM500,000 and they do not know which private investor company is in the JV. Some of the scheme participants have died not knowing what will happen to their land and their investment.
11 comments:
Keep it up Mark Bujang. TQ.
Jabu consider himself to be the sultan of the Dayaks. All that belong to the Dayaks, he considers as his. Thus Dayak shares in Salcra, he consider his to lay his hands on. If he's in a generous mood, Dayak land owners may get some pittance just to shut them up. Vote for BN and be screwed.
50 cents a month! Goes to show who eats the meat and who gets to chew on the bones. See how they take advantage of and screw illiterate longhouse folks. Thank goodness not all ibans are stupid. Maybe the smart ones at PRS would like to see Jabu and give us an answer. We want accountability and get our fair share. 50 cents a month for return is a rip off. Be honest, show us the financial reports. There are Iban accountants out there who can give us the actual profit numbers. Give us what is rightfully ours!! We are entitled to it,
Only SALCRA benefited
Perhaps the landowners should ask these authorities responsible how the actual quantum of dividend was arrived at or better still the responsible minister himself?It does not matter how you look at it the amount is really really to pathetic for 10 years.
Ask them and see what happens.I think if they had been given help and expert guidance to farm or plant some crop or another on their land the returns would have been much better
not mentioning other benefits as well.
L U Kua
Masing,where is the money and the promises that you and Jabu make during Batang Ai by-elction! Are you and jabu ducking all these promises!
The wife of the dictator of sarawak is dead at 3.45 pm after fighting cancer for quite sometime.
to all Dayaks..ANANG KOMPLAIN..
undilah bn selama lamanya sehingga ari kiamat!!
idup taib, idup jabu, idup masing, idup yb YB bn...
DAYAK ARE MEANT TO BE POOR.... undilah Beend!!
i thinks the problem here not only dividen sharing... but.. more about the rights of indigenous people.. especially Dayak people
Salam Kenal from Indonesia
Seting++
when it comes to election and better representative, the ppl make the wrong choice just becoz money been dangling in their face. No one to blame now but oneself.
Listen, look and understand your situation at present and make the right choice for your next generation. Most of us have been in the vicious cycle being poor for generation.What is next? Giving up your land today for a mere RM1 mill and without proper investment (knowing how our bangsa mudah lupa diri when money berguni2 in hand), it will have the value of rm100 in the future.
Educate & equip yourself and your children to avoid being swindled.
According to BIEM survey, only 20 per cent government ministers were telling the truth, while 80 per cent were liars.
In Sarawak, we have 9 ministers, could it means that 8 of them are liars and only 1 is telling the truth?
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