News from Batang Ai (Part 10)

The daily update of news
from Batang Ai by-election
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1. Dayak bloggers now known as Specialist instigators

While describing Dayak bloggers as “specialist instigators”, deputy president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang called on the people not to read too much into the blogs as most of the issues written were “cooked-up stories”.

Contents of the bloggers’ information had no quality as what they could do was to “sabong” people hoping that others would turn against BN, thus weakening it.

Of late these bloggers had pitted him against Parti Rakyat (PRS) president James Masing, making people think that he and Masing were now quarrelling.

“They should know that it was I who proposed to the BN that Masing should become the director of operations in the Batang Ai by-election,” said Jabu, who is deputy chief minister.

The Broken Shield highlighted a spat between Jabu and Masing over certain billboards which only carried the PRS symbol and the photographs of its leaders. Confronting Masing, Jabu asked why other symbols of BN component parties and their leaders were not included. Masing explained that in certain areas such as in SALCRA oil palm schemes the PRS symbol was more effective.

I would have thought that since Jabu had been praising SALCRA for successfully turning the scheme participants into “wealth-to-do families”, Jabu’s pictures should be more than a welcome by the participants and the voters. But why the participants hate Jabu?


2. Ting’s statement on SNAP described as “rubbish”

SNAP secretary general Stanley Jugol has rubbished the statement made by the deputy president of Sarawak national Party (SNAP), Ting Ling Kiew that he had the support of the majority of CEC members who wanted to rejoin the Barisan Nasional and had thrown their support to the BN candidate in Batang Ai by-election.

Jugol who is currently campaigning for the Opposition candidate in Batang Ai said that the majority of the CEC members were with him and the president, Edwin Dundang.

“Every one of the CEC members contacted me and assured me that they do not wish to return to the BN,” said Jugol.

Ting’s claim that he had the support of the CEC members were mere “rubbish”, he added.


3. No proof that government had taken people’s NCR land?

The Opposition is harping on the land issues by accusing Barisan Nasional of seizing the people’s native customary rights (NCR) land but none could prove the allegations, said Barisan Nasional youth chairman, Fadillah Yusof.

Although the state government had given those who claimed that their NCR lands had been seized the opportunity to provide evidence, no one had come forward until now, he said.

“These baseless allegations will go on and they will try other things, seen or unseen to win people’s support during this campaign,” Fadillah said.

Fadillah must be out of touch. And we cannot blame him since he lives in Kuala Lumpur after being appointed to the post of deputy minister of science, technology and innovation.

Fadillah, there are ample proofs, if you care to check with the Court where the NCR land owners have filed, up to now, nearly 200 cases against the government.

There were also demonstrations and land owners arrested by Police for defending their lands. All these were being published in newspapers. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of land including NCR land in Simunjan have been given to Narodeen Majais, in Samarahan to Taib’s brother-in-law and in Betong, Sri Aman and Limbang to Jabu’s son and cronies.

Fadillah can lie and fool the kampong people, but not their children many of them are professionals.


4. Rayong campaigns for BN

Johnichal Rayong was addressing a gathering at a longhouse when Jawah Gerang arrived. He went straight to Rayong and asked him if he had joined Barisan Nasional.

He told Jawah and those present that he had not joined the Barisan Nasional. “Nama nuan tu kampen ke Barisan Nasional?” Rayong felt embarrassed and left immediately. Jawah then took over and addressed the people.

Any YB wanting to defect to the Barisan Nasional is sure to be accepted immediately. But for Rayong, his application to become a political frog has been put on hold since May last year. Any way he behaves like a BN YB and is being used by Alfred Jabu to fool the people of Batang Ai and Engkilili.


5. The battle of the “outsiders”

Both Jawah Gerang, the PKR candidate and Malcolm Mussen, the BN candidate are contesting for the Batang Ai constituency in this by-election.

They are considered as “outsiders” of Batang Ai as both of them are from the state constituency of Engkilili. Between the two, Jawah is better known because he had served the Batang Ai for five terms as the Lubok Antu Member of Parliament.

But for Mussen, he is a greenhorn and is a stranger to the voters of Batang Ai. No wonder, many people in Batang Ai keep on asking, Mussen who?


6. Message to all the ex-PBDS leaders

This is a special message to all leaders of the defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) who have remained partyless. Please come to Lubok Antu and assist Jawah Gerang in this by-election against the State BN regime which is robbing our people of their NCR land. Let us all help Jawah Gerang to win. In this way we are not only displaying our solidarity and unity, we are also at the same time reviving the spirit of Dayakism.

Datuk Sri Daniel Tajem (pic), the last president of PBDS before it was deregistered, is now in Lubok Antu leading the way to help Jawah.

Remember who destroyed PBDS. Remember who are against the registration of Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC). This is the time we punish those traitors to the Dayak community by voting against their crony.

More to come…stay tune to www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com