Opar voters felt cheated

KUCHING: Feeling cheated and angry, the 8,099 voters of Opar Constituency have demanded their elected representative Ranum Mina of Sarawak United People’s Party to explain what has happened to the proposed rural growth centre (RGC) which has undergone two ‘earth-breaking’ ceremonies.

“We want to know what has happened to the RGC project which was promised us before the state election?” asked Boniface Willy Anak Tumek, voter of the constituency.

Speaking on behalf of the Bidayuh community in the area, he said: “They (the BN campaigners) told us that we can look forward to much better days ahead as the RGC will bring economic benefits on a scale previously unseen in Kampung Stungkor, Kampung Stom Muda, Kampung Raso 1 and 2, Kampung Bokah and nearby villages,” he said.

The proposed RGC which was to be cited at Kampung Stungkor, a predominantly Bidayuh village located along the Bau/Lundu road was supposed to be implemented under the 9^th Malaysia Plan in order to boost the economy of the rural communities and to increase the income of the rural dwellers in and around the area.

It would be sufficiently equipped with the requisite infrastructures and amenities.

During the run-up to the May 2006 state election, a very grand earth-breaking ceremony was held at the site near Kampung Stungkor.

Officiating at the ceremony was Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Those present included his deputy Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang who is the Minister of rural Development in charge of the RGC and a number of state ministers and government officers as well as the kampung people.

The grateful villagers reciprocated by giving their votes to the BN-SPP candidate Ranum Mina.

“Five years later the RGC remained a figment of the villagers’ imagination and the economic benefits promised mere wishful thinking.

“There is not the slightest hint that an earth-breaking ceremony took place there much less the facilities that were supposed to house the economic activities as promised,” said Boniface, who is now a member of Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

During the second week of April 2011, which was also interestingly a period of campaigning, another earth-breaking ceremony took place at exactly the same site and supposedly to mark the impending construction of the same RGC at Kampung Stungkor.

Again Taib Mahmud officiated at the earth-breaking ceremony, which was also attended by state ministers, government officers and the kampung folk including their community leaders.

“Believing that the state BN government will proceed with RGC, the Bidayuhs once again voted for Ranum for the second time.

“Four months now after the earth-breaking ceremony, the voters have not seen any sign of development.

“They are start asking whether the RGC will ever be implemented or not,” said Boniface, adding that times are not getting any better for the Bidayuhs in the constituency.

“Every day is a battle to make ends meet and the relentless upward movement of prices of essential goods is making the daily struggle even bitterer.

“They are greatly saddened by what they perceived as a betrayal of their hopes and dreams for a better future.

“They fear that history will repeat itself and that the RGC, together with the promised benefits will not see the light of day any time soon,” he lamented.

Reminding the state government and their elected representative, Boniface said that their memory is not short and that they remembered the promises made in the 2006 state election.

It would also do BN well to remember that they, the rural voters are intelligent enough to know when they are being taken for granted and when value is placed on their votes.

“We now demand that we be told immediately when exactly can we expect works to commence at the site, what facilities are going to be put up, the types of economic activities that the centre is targeting and how exactly we benefits from this centre,” Boniface said.

Then people, he said, are demanding that the facilities to be constructed at the centre be appropriately aligned and be made compatible with the products that can be easily produced by the majority of the rural people in that area,

“To ensure this, other government agencies like the department of agriculture, RISDA, FAMA and so on should be made to come up with matching initiatives for the area in line with the objectives of RGC,

“That way the production, the sale and marketing of the products will not become constraint on their capacity to generate and increase their income,” he said.

Meanwhile, Boniface said that there are 11 RGCs in the state implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development of which Jabu is the minister in charge.

“Millions of ringgit has been spent on the centres. Sadly, all these centres are either under utilised or being abandoned,” said Boniface.

“It is very sad that RGCs are being abandoned as we believe that such centres can help create economic opportunities for the rural people thus enhancing their income,” he added.

Don’t let Opposition into your longhouses, village chiefs told

This was the headline in The Borneo Post dated 10 Jan 2011 which quoted Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Andrew Shilling Banggit as saying.

“Longhouse chiefs have the right to say who can or cannot enter their premises. For instance, they can shut the door if they are approached by members of the Opposition who only want to spread ill-will in their longhouse,” he said.

“Don’t accept them (Opposition) into your longhouse. Longhouse chiefs have the right to prevent them from coming into their longhouses,” he said when officiating at a fire-prevention programme at Rumah Unjah Besh, Sungai Melanggan, Sibu.

The programme was organised by Rumah Unjah Besh’s village development and security committee (JKKK) in collaboration with the Sungai Merah Fire Rescue Services Department.

Penghulu James Semilan, Penghulu Jeffrey Sut and Tuai Rumah Unjah Besh were among those present.

Shilling, who represented Second Minister finance Minister Datuk Sri Wong at the function, cautioned longhouse dwellers that the opposition had the capacity to ‘poison’ their minds to hate the government.

“Thus, you must all be careful when allowing people or parties to come to your longhouse".

He added that longhouse folk especially from Bawang Assan constituency must continue to back the government as they still needed numerous developments to uplift their living standard.

Now let us compare this story with another from Opar, Lundu. Both of these constituencies are under Sarawak United People’s Party. The following story appeared also on The Borneo Post dated 12 Jan 2011.

OPAR LANDOWNERS URGE SUPP TO SERIOUSLY LOOK INTO LAND ISSUE

Landowners from Kampung Stenggang along Bau-Lundu Road, whose lands were given to private companies for oil palm plantation, blamed Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) for its lackadaisical attitude in helping them solve their problems.

They claimed that SUPP and its elected representative had failed them on the issue despite many appeals and “SOS” calls made.

According to a press statement issued yesterday (11 Jan), which was signed by its village chief Motion Sodiap and chairman of Kampung Stenggang, Bau NCR Defence Action committee Carolus Joim Langis such inaction by SUPP had invited adverse remarks on the party.

“As it is now, SUPP’s rating in our area is at its lowest ever since Ranum Mina held the seat some two years ago", they said.

They also said that the affected landowners had no other option but to go to court after having exhausted all political avenues.

Kampung Stenggang is part of Opar State constituency which is held by Ranum, representing SUPP.

“If Barisan loses in Opar, it is not because the people in the area dislike BN, but because SUPP’s inaction and indifferent attitude to the people’s complaints,” they said.

They said that BN had been performing satisfactorily in their area and it was now up to SUPP to show that it can work in tandem with the BN spirit of 1Malaysia – People first, Performance now, failing which SUPP ought to be ready to hand over the Opar seat to the Opposition in the next election.

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In the first story, what does it imply? To The Broken Shield, Shilling does not want the Opposition to know the problems faced by the people in the Bawang Constituency. Nor does he want the people to tell the Opposition about their problems.

During the Sibu by-election in May last year, we went to many of the longhouses and found that the majority of the longhouses have no clean water, no electricity and no proper roads.

Worse, their native customary rights lands have been grabbed by the government and leased to crony companies.

Shilling wants all the people in the constituency to have a blinkered view of seeing what SUPP wants you to see. Wake up and get rid of your “Apai Saloi” mentality.