Thursday, March 22

Sarawak PKR says Salcra is short changing native landowners

KUCHING: Sarawak PKR has accused the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) of short changing native participants in its schemes.

Nicholas Bawin, who leads the party’s Lubok Antu division, said that despite Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Numpang’s “big talk” about dividends accruing from the Salcra oil palm estates, the payout to the natives was paltry.

He cited the amount received by families living in Rumah Empirong, the 30-door longhouse he comes from. “This year, each family is getting only RM350.”

Bawin was commenting on a recent statement by Jabu that Salcra’s profits were high because of prudent management. Jabu said the 16,374 landowners participating in Salcra schemes would receive RM100.9 million in dividends this year.

Salcra was established in 1976. It has about 51,000 hectares planted with oil palm. However, Bawin said, it had brought little benefit to native landowners.

“Salcra is supposed to help the poor native landowners, but with the small dividends they receive each year, how can their economic wellbeing be improved?” he said. “Is it worthwhile for the NCR (native customary rights) landowners to participate in Salcra?”

Bawin is a former deputy president of the Council of Dayak Customs and Traditions.

He also complained about the unreliability of water supply to 21 longhouses in the Batang Ai resettlement scheme. These longhouses were transferred from areas now submerged by the Batang Ai dam.

Bawin said there should not be any problem supplying water to these families because the source is the huge Lemanak River. “But what we experience regularly is that there are often interruptions of water supply to our homes.” -  Free Malaysia Today

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMENT: Who is to be blamed for this blunder? Of course Jabu, as he is the man who has personally selected someone as general manager who lacks experience as an oil palm planter. He is only an accountant? Or did he pass it?

Because of his lack of experience Salcra oil palm estates have not progressed. Not even a plant had been planted under its expansion programme in the eighth, ninth and tenth Malaysia Plans. But the GM is very arrogant blaming everybody for his failures. Most of the senior staffs who have been with Salcra for the last 20 to 30 years are really expert on oil palm plantation, but the GM would not listen to them.

Many could not tolerate his arrogance so they either asked for early retirement or asked to be transferred to other departments which need their expertise. Now filling those posts are mostly his relatives or cronies who are given much higher salaries than the senior civil servant in Salcra. The way it looks, Salcra is not making money. But it is projected to pay millions of ringgit of dividends.

Now that Land Development Minister is back to control Salcra, he should do something about it before it is too late.

What do the readers think?

13 comments:

Iban rumah panjai said...

I am tired already reading so many articles in the websites and blogs about SALCRA and Jabu. Those who have read these articles know very well how Jabu managed SALCRA. Among of the articles you may wish to read are:-
(i) The SALCRA Scandal - stealing from Sarawak`s poorest people posted by Sarawak Report on March 31, 2011;
(ii)Jabu`s oil palm scheme ripping off the natives posted by Insider Sarawak dated 3 April, 2011 and
(iii)Sarawak Report has alleged that SALCRA performance has been dismal under the leadership of Jabu, who is its chairman posted by Sarawak Headhunter on April 6,2011.

Recently, we have read the article in Sarawak Report dated 15 March, 2012 saying that Jabu has amassed series of plantations, which he has put into the hand of his family, much of which is Native Customary Land, snatched from his local people in his local region in Betong. The same report also said that many more plantations have fallen into of the wealthy hand of Jabu - the ordinary people have received so few dividends from the oil palm cooperative SALCRA, which is managed by Jabu.

I do not know whether to believe all these reports or not, but if the reports are untrue, I am sure Jabu will take action against the writer and publisher of these articles.

FairviewBetong said...

My fellow dayaks.

If the comment by Iban Rumah Panjai does contain an iota of truth why then MILLIONS after MILLIONS of dividen pay out are being announced by SALCRA year in and year out.

As to why Hogansiau YAB Tan Sri Datuk Patinggi never responded to the allegations (i believe) is a matter of correct priority. He chooses to focus his energy into doing better things - developing policies and programmes that benefits his subjects the dayak people people then to be distracted unnecessarily.

I am sure Hogansiau Tan Sri shall continue his heavenly-good work for his (Iban) subjects.

Chaau.

Apai irau said...

SALCRA in actual fact is a cash cow for Jabu and his cronies.How?.Almost all works or projects related to SALCRA are in the hands of Jabu and his group;from providing of seedlings to fertilizers.Just check with the few good guys in Salcra and you will know this.That is one.Secondly,Jabu has been talking about the millions payout in dividends but the livelihood of the participants still not changed.In fact the daily pay of a Salra worker(field) is less than rm20.00 which is much lower than the prevailing rate of salary earned by a labourer in other sector.Thirdly,RM 350 received by each participant from Rumah Empirang(as factual illustration)this year divided by 365 days does not come to a ringgit per day.This bastard from singkawang should be stopped to fool the Ibans further.

Jambu Batu said...

B.t.h ahh.Enda abis ngemeli ke bansa diri.

Anonymous said...

Felda settlers receive an average of 15% dividend every year. During election year, they get more.

Get Pakatan to manage SALCA, and Sarawakians will be like Felda.

Unknown said...

Jabu is a bad guy. So, please vote him again on next election.

pelacur politikus said...

Millions for its staffs and office,cents for the participants.what a good f--k agency headed by the Iban to cheat the Ibans.

Apai Semalau said...

Senior minister Masing and his BN cronies will say " Don't lawan the towkay". Meaning if towkay gives you fellow dayaks peanuts as dividend, just accept it and be thankful. Don't question the rests of the undercounter bananas and $$$$ he gets to keep at your expense! Unless we change our mind set we will always be subjected to the exploitation by these self elevated "lakia" towkays.

Anonymous said...

What I really want to know is do the natives who own the land care at all how they have been screwed by their elected and trusted ministers and I do not mean just the Dayak ministers? In fact do the Dayaks, Ibans,Bidayuh,and all care or are even aware of all these things.

Bemused

Anonymous said...

I can't understand why FairView betong is happy SALCRA give out diviends in the millions every year which amounts to a few hundred ringgit only for the 16,000or more participants. Is that what you call success. In total,millions sound big but scatter that around amongst thousands,what do you get FairView? Do your maths first before you redicule yourself. A few hundred ringgit for a whole year of investment is not even a month salary to the participants so why shout about it unless your intention is to mislead. But the SALCRA guys sure can drive to play golf in Big Cars. Wonder how big their houses compared to their cars?!

Jambu Batu said...

Today,27th March 2012,Jabu outlined what he had achieved in the Borneo Post,or did he?.My memory may fail me but if i recalled correctly,Jabu has been Adun for Layar since he beat Kalong in the 70s i.e about 30 over years ago.He has been the 'boss' of Pesaka wing in PBB for unmemorable years and has been DCM for long long years. Now, if we look at the number of years Jabu has been 'in service',is it justifiable to say that he has done a good job taking into account of his 'revealation' in the Borneo Post today?MY FOOT.Until today still many longhouses in Betong do not have proper roads ,electricity and treated water supply and all these things are mere basic needs.The fact is Jabu has been and shall continue to be Taib's accomplice in his grand agenda to disunite the Ibans and consequentially weaken the Ibans economically and politically.

Anonymous said...

100.9 million will be the highest and last payment that this body can give. it is due to the wrong projection of the Finance manager and of course, the candies sweets before the election.

by the way, this is the beginning of a fallen empire

more insider story will come......

Anonymous said...

those of you are the participant of SALCRA scheme. please do ask them about their Assar Refinery issue.

can any normal person with brain and running a business signed an agreement with Assar refinery to agree you can only "SELL" your product to them and no one else.

YES, this SHIT happen between SALCRA and Assar. for what ever reason i have no idea. maybe political benefit again.

up to date. Assar have failed to pay up to RM 150Million and maybe more. a company with a capital of only RM100Million owning more than RM150Million. and yes, the is a very new company.

so basically, all the SALCRA mills that sell their oil SOLELY to Assar as agreed by the SALCRA TOP management will have to close shop sooner or later.

this is not a lie. if anyone who read this article, can do a checkup on assar refinery situation now, and check whether there is such agreement between SALCRA and Assar.

those who know this and with the power to influence the public. please dont let those politician and management team that is behind all this trick and lies to get away.