River Disaster

Pic taken from: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=102917&id=102353559826090&ref=notif&notif_t=photo_tag

Pic taken from: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/10/8/nation/7186693&sec=nation

This is the headline of The Star dated 8 October 2010. The story was illustrated with pictures of tonnes of logs and wood debris drifting down the mighty Rajang River near Kapit, temporarily trapping a ferry and passengers.

The Star described the phenomenon as a “major environmental disaster unfolding in the state, as kilometre after kilometre of logs and wood debris flow down the Rajang.”

It was believed that heavy rain in the upper reaches of Baleh River, a tributary of the Rajang had caused landslides at log ponds of a major timber camp and brought down the logs and wood debris.

River transport was cut off when the logs and debris started filling the entire width of the river by 4.00 pm. It was first sighted at 1.00 pm.

And by 7.30 pm the debris was reported to have reached Song and was expected to hit Sibu early in the morning.

As this was the first incident, government authorities were not prepared to deal with it.

Doomsayers connect the incident with the impoundment of Bakun Dam this Sunday, a warning to those who live down river. In future something a much bigger, even bigger than tsunami can happen.

There are those who believe that it is a curse on those timber companies who have no respect for the spirit of the jungle, the spirit of those Dayaks who have departed ages ago and the customs, traditions and taboos of the natives.

The curse has incurred losses to the timber companies in the hundreds of millions of ringgit.

As a lyric of an Iban song runs: “Sepi asai nuan, sepi asai nuan” (serve you right).- The Broken Shield

Economist warns of serious economic repercussions

(This article was first published in the Free Malaysia Today and has been updated and produced here for the readers of The Broken Shield).

KUCHING: An economist with University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) has warned of serious economic repercussions in the State if there are insufficient funds to create and implement economic activities alongside projects planned in the 10th Malaysia Plan.

“Where there are mega projects such as a heavy industry, hydro projects, construction of highways and SCORE projects being implemented in Sarawak in the 10MP, there should be sufficient funds to finance, create and implement economic projects alongside these projects.

“This is to avoid the failures and the experiences in Batang Ai and in Bakun,” said Professor Dr. Dimbab Ngidang at a paper presented at a recent seminar organised by Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).

Sarawak’s Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud opened the one-day seminar. Five papers were presented.

“We must learn from the past experiences in Batang Ai and Asap in Bakun. The SALCRA farm scheme in Batang Ai does not generate enough income for setters there nor does the resettlement scheme for settlers in Asap, let alone generating high income earning.

“I am not saying that they are not without income; they lack expanded economic opportunities to earn extra income. When resettlement scheme at Tunu (Kapit) is implemented there is also a strong possibility that settlers there will not likely to earn sufficient income like their counterparts in Batang Ai and Asap.

“This is why sufficient federal funding should be allocated to help the state government creates diversified high income generating economic activities for communities directly affected by mega projects,” he said.

Dimbab said: “Now, the same rationale of people-oriented approach in NEP should also be invoked for creating economic activities in order to expand economic opportunities for the affected communities not only in SCORE, but also alongside all government-funded development projects elsewhere.

“When the nation-state invokes a positive discrimination approach, it is not impossible for rural people to capture a fair distribution of socio-economic benefits and/or spin-off effects of the construction of HEP dams, establishment of heavy industry, infrastructures (roads) and modern facilities cutting across the hinterlands of Sarawak.

“That tall order of social responsibility has been discharged in NEP and should be continued for the sake of inclusiveness in the high income policy in NEM so that people in the peripheries are brought into the fold of mainstream economic development.

“Therefore, mixing the correct ingredients in a balancing act between striving for economic growth and inclusiveness of rural peripheries in NEM to create high economy is certainly for the interest of the nation-state so that the lower income groups especially in rural areas are not being left out in the 10MP and beyond,” he said.

Dimbab related a story how 3,600 people were displaced in 1982 as a result of the construction of the hydroelectric power (HEP) dam at Batang Ai, Sri Aman Division.

About 1,595 families were resettled in the land scheme in 1982, of which each family was allocated 4.5 hectares of farmland: 2 hectares of rubber, 1.2 hectares of cocoa and 0.4 hectares for a garden plot, whereas the remaining 0.8 hectare for rice cultivation is yet to be given.

The cocoa farm scheme was abandoned after cocoa price plunged in the 1980s and has been replanted with oil palm. Although the resettlement scheme provided facilities and infrastructure, the farm scheme has not been able to provide a sustainable income for the settlers, and the lack land for rice cultivation seems to add to the problem of food insecurity.

The aquaculture project in Batang Ai has long been discontinued for lack of funding and found to be not economically viable to run due to high cost of feed and limited market outlets.

He said that in the 1990s, 15 longhouses, comprising Kayan, Kenyah, Kajang, Ukit and Penan people with a total affected population of 9,4289 were resettled at Asap, Belaga district in Kapit Division. Three acres of land were allocated per household at Asap resettlement scheme.

He said: “In short, there are very little economic activities in these government-created resettlement schemes today. The same argument of insufficient income also befalls all these schemes; they are not with income, but not adequate enough for supporting sustainable livelihood.

“Perhaps, a thorough assessment of these projects is also necessary. Given the sacrifices they have rendered to the nation-state over the years, surely the existing critical mass in the above-mentioned schemes deserve special attention in terms of federal allocation for implementing affirmative action programs in the 10MP.

“Federal funding is crucial to help create economic activities in these resettlement schemes whether in the form of cottage industry, aquaculture, commercial orchards and vegetable production or food processing, etc., with supporting technical advisory services by relevant agencies and a guaranteed market for their products,” he said.

Longhouse chief charged for defending his people’s NCR land

Belaga: Just how many Tuai Rumah (longhouse chiefs) or village chiefs nowadays dare to defend NCR land of their anembiak (followers) and risk being arrested and losing their RM450.00 monthly allowance from the government?

There are, but not many. Most of them are interested to help the government to take away the people’s NCR land, while others become agents (brokers) in selling their followers’ NCR land to big oil palm companies. This happens in Lundu, and I am sure elsewhere.

But for Longhouse head, TK Nyalang Tahe’ from Long Koyan in Belaga he is prepared to be arrested and charged in court in the defence of his people’s land. He is to appear in the Magistrate’s Court, Belaga on 12 October 2009 under Section 379 of the Penal Code for the alleged crime of theft.

He was charged for stealing an excavator belonging to Samling Plantation on 13 May 2009 which he denied. He was under police bond pending the case to be mentioned at the Belaga Magistrate Court.

TK Nyalang Tahe’ is a village leader who is dedicated and concerned with the welfare of his community. This laudable quality led him to defend their village Native Customary Rights (NCR) of Rumah Panjang Long Koyan (Long Koyan longhouse) in Belaga from encroachment by Samling Plantation for the establishment of an oil palm plantation.

The case arose from a police report that was made by a representative from Long Koyan Longhouse on 13 May 2009 about an encroachment taking place in their customary land by Samling Plantation sometime in the beginning of May.

In the report, longhouse representatives, led by TK Nyalang Tahe’ stopped an excavator, from bulldozing their farm lands and gardens in their NCR land. The report also mentioned that they confiscated the excavator keys to stop the workers from further encroachment.

On 21 July 2009, a warrant of arrest was issued to TK Nyalang and he was summoned by the police to surrender himself at the Sungai Asap Police Station. A large number of his longhouse residents went together with TK Nyalang to the police station that day.

According to Abun Sui Anyit, advisor of the Sarawak Native Customary Land Rights Network (TAHABAS), “This is clearly a dispute of rights to land. The police should have carried out a thorough investigation based on the reports lodged by the two parties in dispute.”

“The police should be neutral in handling the case without biased. But this was not so, as the police hastily framed TK Nyalang as a criminal by instituting charges against him,” Abun said.

TK Nyalang was not aware that the company had made another police report complaining that one of their excavators was stolen and he was the prime suspect and a warrant of arrest issued against him.

TK Nyalang and his residents argued with the police that the excavator was not stolen and it is still under the care of the workers of Samling Plantation. The keys are in their possession as it was passed to them by the plantation workers. They said it is even stated in their police report.

TK Nyalang said that they have made numerous police reports against Samling Plantation, but no action was taken. He and his residents wanted to know why the police are so swift to take action when the company makes a police report and why TK Nyalang is being charge for a criminal offence when it is the company that is committing an offence of trespass.

Realising the crowd’s anger, the police decided not to arrest TK Nyalang but he is required to sign a police bond and ordered to appear at the Belaga Magistrate Court on the 21 August to answer to the charges of stealing the company’s excavator. - The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com