KUCHING: Sarawak PKR wanita chief Ibi anak Uding blasted Snowdan Lawan, the State assemblyman for Balai Ringin for behaving like a gangster attempting to sabotage her function at Kampung Ensebang Kuari, Balai Ringin on Sunday morning (22 Aug 2010).
Ibi had earlier applied for a Police permit to organise the function in conjunction with the visit of PKR supreme council member, Zaid Ibrahim to the village.
She had also applied for the use of the village community hall and approval was given by Tuai Rumah (village chief) Saimi Ribol.
But on Saturday, Ibi was told by the longhouse chief that she could not use the hall as it would be used by Snowdan to organize a day concert with two Iban popular singers.
Ibi moved the function to an adjacent house. She had to borrow some 200 chairs from various people at the longhouse.
When Zaid was about to deliver a speech, Snowdan’s Iban singers began to sing. However, they were advised by the Police to hold on first.
According to Ibi, Snowdan ordered some 50 village headmen to attend his concert, while some 300 people listened to Zaid’s speech.
“This behaviour is disgusting and the behaviour of a gangster,” alleged Ibi, who is a potential candidate to challenge Snowdan for the coming state election.
“He has failed to help the people of Balai Ringin constituency since he was elected in 2006,” she said.
“In order to attract crowd, he has to resort to use Iban singers to attract them, and he has to bribe them to support him” she said, pointing out that type of support was superficial.
Snowdan was alleged to have paid RM2,000 to the JKKK in order to stop PKR from using the community hall.
“Now the people know who Snowdan really is,” Ibi added.
Ibi thanked the Police for maintaining peace and order.
Meanwhile, Zaid talked on how the State BN government had mistreated the people of Balai Ringin – took away their native customary rights land for the planting of oil palm and for the rearing of pigs on a wide scale.
Zaid was referring to the pig farm which had consumed some RM400 million to build it, while the people’s welfare were neglected; they did not have electricity, clean water supply and proper roads.
He also referred to some 741, 000 hectares of NCR land in the Balai Ringin constituency which had been earmarked for oil palm plantation for Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s crony companies.
At Ubah, Pantu, which is part of Snowdan’s constituency, the people’s NCR land had taken away and planted with oil palm without their consent.
The land owners are now suing the company, the Land and survey Department and the state government.
Zaid called on the people to help vote out the Taib government in the coming election if they wanted their NCR land back.
Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan who was present said that he almost went to the wrong place as he had been told the gathering was at the hall. But the hall had been hijacked by Snowdan.
“Now the BN is ‘takut’ (intimidated) by the PKR presence and has resorted to all the dirty tricks to stop the party from meeting the people and from telling the truth,” he said.
More visits will be organised in the future not only in Balai Ringing, but also other constituencies.
Ibi had earlier applied for a Police permit to organise the function in conjunction with the visit of PKR supreme council member, Zaid Ibrahim to the village.
She had also applied for the use of the village community hall and approval was given by Tuai Rumah (village chief) Saimi Ribol.
But on Saturday, Ibi was told by the longhouse chief that she could not use the hall as it would be used by Snowdan to organize a day concert with two Iban popular singers.
Ibi moved the function to an adjacent house. She had to borrow some 200 chairs from various people at the longhouse.
When Zaid was about to deliver a speech, Snowdan’s Iban singers began to sing. However, they were advised by the Police to hold on first.
According to Ibi, Snowdan ordered some 50 village headmen to attend his concert, while some 300 people listened to Zaid’s speech.
“This behaviour is disgusting and the behaviour of a gangster,” alleged Ibi, who is a potential candidate to challenge Snowdan for the coming state election.
“He has failed to help the people of Balai Ringin constituency since he was elected in 2006,” she said.
“In order to attract crowd, he has to resort to use Iban singers to attract them, and he has to bribe them to support him” she said, pointing out that type of support was superficial.
Snowdan was alleged to have paid RM2,000 to the JKKK in order to stop PKR from using the community hall.
“Now the people know who Snowdan really is,” Ibi added.
Ibi thanked the Police for maintaining peace and order.
Meanwhile, Zaid talked on how the State BN government had mistreated the people of Balai Ringin – took away their native customary rights land for the planting of oil palm and for the rearing of pigs on a wide scale.
Zaid was referring to the pig farm which had consumed some RM400 million to build it, while the people’s welfare were neglected; they did not have electricity, clean water supply and proper roads.
He also referred to some 741, 000 hectares of NCR land in the Balai Ringin constituency which had been earmarked for oil palm plantation for Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s crony companies.
At Ubah, Pantu, which is part of Snowdan’s constituency, the people’s NCR land had taken away and planted with oil palm without their consent.
The land owners are now suing the company, the Land and survey Department and the state government.
Zaid called on the people to help vote out the Taib government in the coming election if they wanted their NCR land back.
Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan who was present said that he almost went to the wrong place as he had been told the gathering was at the hall. But the hall had been hijacked by Snowdan.
“Now the BN is ‘takut’ (intimidated) by the PKR presence and has resorted to all the dirty tricks to stop the party from meeting the people and from telling the truth,” he said.
More visits will be organised in the future not only in Balai Ringing, but also other constituencies.
