DUN speech of YB Ting Tze Fui

June 2011 DUN Speech of DAP YB for Meradong Ting Tze Fui

Mr. Speaker, I am much obliged for this opportunity to participate in this debate in appreciation for the address of Tuan Yang Terutama Yang Dipertua Negeri Sarawak delivered in this August house on 21^st June 2011.

First of all, I wish to record my heartfelt thanks to all the voters in Meradong to vote for DAP and yes, I am back! The Honourable Member for Bawang Assan, the “Motion King” of this State Assembly, your futile effort in suspending Opposition members one after another has enabled our leader, the Honourable Member for Bukit Assek to bring a strengthened troop of 12 to this State Assembly. Be assured, our leader shall lead perhaps, 24 of us back to this State Assembly in five year time, if you persist in your effort to expel some more of us from this sacred Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, this State Assembly housed in this grand RM300 million building sits for a a period of 16 days only per year, i.e a total of 80 days over the next five years. Therefore, there is so much wastage and under-utilization of this very grandiose DUN building. I do hereby strongly suggest that this State Assembly should sit at least 3 sessions a year so that the voice and plight of the people can be brought to this State Assembly more often.

Local Issues

Mr. Speaker, unlike the BN backbenchers in this August House who always start their speeches by giving the BN State Government or Chief Minister the most glorifying compliments they can ever think of, I would like to raise some local issues pertaining to my constituents in Meradong.

a. Water Disruption Problem

Mr. Speaker, water supply is most essential to all lives living.The frequent water disruptions occurring in particular in Sg Petai, Selidap, Sg. Bakong, Jalan KJD and Lemayong areas in my constituency have been particularly acute in the past year. Residents in these areas have been put to tremendous inconvenience, due to disruptions and insufficient supply of clean piped water. Many folks have been forced to buy drinking water at a great financial burden to the residents, especially to the lower income groups.

The persistent water supply disruptions reflect not only the serious internal problems of the local Water Board but they have demonstrated clearly the sheer incompetence of the staffs of the Water Board. Perhaps it is high time for all the staffs of the Water Board to cooperate and work together so that they may be able to find the root causes and the solutions to the water supply disruption problems which have been ongoing for all too often in Meradong for the past many months. It is also high time for the Honourable Minister for Public Utilities to get the staffs of the Water board to buck up.

The State Government has consistently claimed to have spent millions and millions on infrastructure developments and other amenities, yet on the other hand, there are numerous substandard and inferior services and problems such as water supply disruptions, regular electricity blackouts, poor roads and drainage conditions which remain long unresolved.

Therefore, if a country is unable to provide satisfactorily the very basic necessity such as water supply to all our countrymen, how is Malaysia going to achieve Wawasan 2020, and be elevated into an advanced nation in 2020?

2. Rejang Bridge

Mr. Speaker, I wish to speak out on behalf of all the people in the Central Region of Sarawak that it is high time to abolish the Rejang bridge tolls.This is an utmost and earnest appeal, not a rubbish suggestion deserving to be dumped into a Trineken rubbish bin prepared by Minister for Land Development!

Since Woodville Sdn.Bhd, the concessionaire of the bridge toll has been fully paid in kind, doesn’t the State or Federal government have sufficient fund to buy back the bridge and let all bridge users free access? A Pakatan Rakyat government would promise to buy back the concessionaire’s right to collect bridge tolls and it would provide unrestricted access to all bridge users. The abolition of the bridge toll should spur faster economic growth of the West bank of the Rejang River.

Land issue

Mr. Speaker, in view of the many NCR landowners, whose land has been grabbed over the years by big corporations with the cohort of the State Government, it is just so sad to hear from the Government Ministers, especially Member for Layar to persistently condemning the Opposition as against development. But how ironic has it been for the Member for Layar, on several occasions, to lambast the Opposition to be so effective in suppressing and oppressing the natives?

When the Opposition does speak out, on matters relating to NCR landowners, rest be assured that we are all the way for all of you. We have your vital interests over your land in our heart. We want to protect your very legitimate claims over your land by speaking out loudly and clearly on your behalf and against indiscriminate and wanton land grabs by big or dormant companies.

I produce herewith a copy of the letter dated 20^th November 2008 and signed by the permanent secretary of the Ministry for Land Development. The said letter has granted an approval to one company called Vertical Drive Sdn. Bhd. to invest and develop a total of 48199 hectares of NCR land in which 26596 ha. Is situated at KJD/lower Julau area in Meradong where many longhouses folks are being adversely affected.

How on earth can this dormant company, which was incorporated on 3.6 2008 beg ranted 48199 ha. of NCR land in less than 6 months time on 20.11.2008.

Does the Minister for Land Development agree that when more than 100,000 acres of land are being grabbed, there would be hundreds, if not thousands of NCR landowners who have inhabited on the said land for decades, who shall be displaced from their homeland permanently and unconscionably?

When large tract of land are being converted to large-scale cultivation of oil palms, inevitably there is little regard by the authority to the adverse environmental impact, in particular the effect of tree-felling in the water catchment area in Meradong which fall within the above stated 100,000 acres of land. Moreover due to widespread use of fertilizer it is unavoidable that the water supply would be polluted and poisonous thereby rendering long-term consumption of water from these areas unsafe.

Agriculture

Nowadays, the price of fertilizer, pesticides, and other agriculture chemicals have gone up drastically. In Meradong, farmers can hardly get any form of subsidy from Jabatan Pertanian. Yet they have to virtually beg for the supply of fertilizer through BN elected representatives.

When the Agricultural Department’s role as administrative department has been usurped by BN elected representatives, who are supposed to be lawmakers, what function does the Jabatan Pertanian serve really? It seems the agriculture department only exists in name!

Mr. Speaker, Sarawak has millions and millions of hectares of fertile land laying in waste and idling. If the State Government has been more pro-small farming, Sarawak would not have to import 70% of its rice requirements while West Malaysia is 70% self-sufficient in rice consumption.

Mr. Speaker, I have spoken at length before in favour of granting small acreage of farm land to small farmholders for the purpose of cultivating rice, fruits or vegetables. To-date, hardly any small plots of land have been granted to smalltime farmers while thousands and thousands of acres of valuable land are one after another, alienated to big corporations or CM related companies. In the process, millions and millions of RM are being made by greedy middlemen, family members or brokers.

Gerrymander

Mr. Speaker, the gentlemen across the Bench may gloat about the fact that you still have an absolute number of 56 and that there are only 15 of us on the Opposition Bench. But rest be assured that our number may be small but we shall speak out without any fear for all Sarawakians.

Now that the 10^th Sarawak State Election is over, there are some pertinent facts which are clear and emerging. The opposition has gained 45% of the total votes cast and yet there are only 15 of us here. But the BN with 55% of the votes have 55 seats in this State Assembly.

Why? Pure and simple, it is the grossly unfair gerrymander found in our electoral system that has been blatantly manipulated and perpetrated by this BN government to entrench its stronghold of political power. The concept of 1 vote 1 value and proportionate representation have long been thrown out of the window. Many young people who are residing and working outside the State have all been robbed the right to vote and disenfranchised unreasonably.

Under the present gerrymandered electoral system, 7 out of the 71 seats have more than 25,000 registered voters while 26 seats have less than 10,000 voters each.

Mr. Speaker, how to justify the seat of Pending having 29,488 voters while the neighbouring seat of Satok has only 10,431 voters? How do you justify Palawan comprising 28,808 voters while the neighbouring seat of Nangka merely has 14,197 voters? There are such seats, eg. Daro having only 7,305 voters and Layar merely 8,109 voters.

**Mr. Speaker, we cannot continue to have these grossly gerrymandered and distorted electoral boundaries to persist. SUPP has been marvelously silent and completely incompetent on the issue of electoral reforms for the past 40 over years. It has utterly failed to fight for extra seat allocations or to have the electoral boundaries redrawn so that more seats could be created justly in favour of the urban voters.**

Mr. Speaker, we need to urgently introduce vital reforms to the current state’s unfair, unrepresentative and undemocratic electoral system to reflect the true essence of democracy, i.e 1 vote 1 value. We genuinely require a fairer and truly representative electoral system that is not biased against any particular ethnic group or geographical location.

Mr. Speaker, if the Chief Minister is truly sincere in upholding real democratic principles and ideals, he shall without hesitation and strongly endorse my calls for genuine electoral reforms. The Chief Minister’s claim of being the Chief Minister for all Sarawakians would run into the smack of the face of democracy and his so-called vision of all inclusive politics to look after the interests of all races in Sarawak would only sound like a smokescreen, if he is against bona fide reforms.

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Truly, the Chief Minister has been the longest serving CEO of this sizable state of Sarawak which has tremendous wealth and natural resources, from water, land, timber to minerals, oil and gas etc. On the other hand, Singapore, the size of the Bakun Dam and without any natural resources is such a great contrast to Sarawak undeniably.

Mr. Speaker, 30 long years at the helm of the political power in Sarawak should have enabled the Chief Minister to turn Sarawak into the richest state in Malaysia. What is so sad for the Chinese community has been to hear from this longest serving Chief Minister to utter a regretful statement to the effect that after 30 years in power, he did not know what the Chinese community really wants.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to tell the Chief Minister loud and clear the Chinese community wants things like open tenders, less nepotism or cronyism, elimination of corruption and crimes, equal treatment of all races, automatic renewal of all expiring land leases with a nominal sum as premiums together with the lifting of Section 47 impositions soonest possible; to help to achieve the full recognition of Unified Examination Certificate; the reintroduction of local council election and to assist to eliminate the perennial controversy over the award of scholarships; to fight for extra oil royalties from 5% to 20% which would generate extra yearly RM6 to 7 billion for Sarawak; to abolish the Rejang Bridge tolls and to achieve a truly Malaysian’s Malaysia, People First, and not Family First. These are the important things which are dear in the heart for which the Chinese community wants the Government to display greater understanding, redress, concern, assistance or concrete actions to be taken.

Mr. Speaker, the Chinese community has repeatedly urged the Government to provide annual financial grant to Chinese Independent schools. Yes, Chief Minister has given a token gesture by granting 2,000 hectares of land prior to the 416 state election, possibly in the most remote part of Kapit Division.

Sarawak belongs to all people of Sarawak. If the Honourable Chief Minister as the Minister of Planning and Resource Management was able to grant hundreds acres of prime land to a dormant company ' Monarda Sdn. Bhd.' In which CM's son owns 52 percent of the total shares, why can’t he just endow 27 acres out of 270 acres of prime land to all the Chinese independent school in Sarawak which would benefit not just one person only but thousands and thousands of students statewide?

Generally, Mr.Speaker, people want a fairer and more egalitarian society wherein they are being treated equally like all other races, to be given more business and public service opportunities and equal distribution of natural resources and wealth.

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Now, one thing both the Opposition and the Members of the Government Bench can share joyfully is to position ourselves together for the final countdown of the century and to witness the historic grand finale of this undoubtedly the longest serving Chief Minister of Sarawak, after all of us have been waiting an eternity for the last curtain to be drawn.

Brain Drain / Labour Outflow

Mr. Speaker, the problem of brain drain stems from social, economic and political injustices embedded in this society plus a system of perpetuated built -in discrimination. Whatever awards, tenders or privileges given out should be based on merits irrespective of race, religion and gender.

Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that Government revenue comes from various avenues of direct or indirect taxes imposed or derived from all tax-paying Malaysians and companies with registered businesses in Malaysia. The caretakers of the public funds are the Government of the day and the public bureaucrats who are supposed to utilize and dispense the public funds fairly and prudently.

Sadly, we are faced with the yearly and persisting situation of Malaysian Public Services Department in bungling and thereby denying the JPA scholarships to 363 top scoring 8A+ students in the SPM examination this year.

**This State Government has failed year after year to show any care and concern towards this never-ending problem by failing to make any effective representations to the Federal Government to redress the balance so that the perennial and unjustifiable scholarship awards can be rectified to the satisfaction of all concerned.**

Mr. Speaker, regrettably may other countries such as Singapore would be glad to offer our disappointed bright students to their countries for further studies of their choices, many of these top students, upon completion of their tertiary studies would unlikely return to serve Malaysia or Sarawak.

Mr. Speaker, when so many of our young professionals leave our country, our state, where are we going to find qualified staff and skilled labourers to serve our labour needs of our schools, hospitals and industries, especially SCORE which the State Government claims is going to generate thousands and thousands of job opportunities?

We have been a good net exporter of skilled and qualified professionals, but even a bigger and greater importer of unskilled labourers which number amounts to about seven million nationally, which is equivalent to a quarter of the nation’s population. So what is the State Government going to do with our industries so dependent on the influx of unskilled labourers from Indonesia, Bangladesh or the Philippines and so forth?

There is no wonder that in the past 20 years, a million Malaysians have emigrated overseas. In Sarawak the worst hit is the central region where Sibu, Bintangor, Sarikei and the peripheral towns are more and more like retirement towns because most of the young and able-bodied people are working elsewhere overseas or in West Malaysia.

Mr. Speaker, this is not caused by the Opposition! This sorry state of affairs is the direct consequence of the BN unfair rule for the past half a century.

Conclusion

Mr. Speaker, the result of the recent Sarawak State election clearly demonstrated that people are demanding changes, real changes! It is hoped that with this in mind the State Government will show genuine care and concern for all the people in Sarawak. As the Opposition members have been duly elected by more than 45% of Sarawakians, it is further hoped the Government shall treat us with due respects.

Debate speech by YB See Chee How

Debate speech by See Chee How, State Assemblyman for Batu Lintang, on 23rd day of June, 2011 on the Motion to Appreciate the TYT’s Address delivered on 21 June 2011

Dato Sri Speaker,

Thank you for allowing me to participate in this debate on the Motion of appreciation to his Excellency Tuan Yang Terutama Yang Di Pertua Negeri’s Address on 21st June, 2011 and at the same time to raise some issues in this August House.

I am grateful to the voters of Batu Lintang for electing me to this House. I have given my solemn oath in this legendary Dewan to discharge my duties and serve to the best of my ability, the interests of the state and the country. I am proud of it, to represent the constituents in Batu Lintang who have all registered their faith in our Pakatan Rakyat, as the way forward for this great state and country that we all loved.

Dato Sri Speaker, it is undoubted that the BN had scored a huge victory at the just concluded Sarawak State Election. To that, I congratulate YAB and his BN team.

However, it is also an irrefutable fact that the Oppositions had scored a resounding victory of securing 45% of the popular votes polled. Had the democratic principle of one constituent one vote be followed and practiced, the Opposition should have won 31 seats in this Honourable Dewan.

The 2-coalitions system has now taken shape and Sarawak has certainly progressed in our democratic process.

But, I am not here to advocate different and hostile political support and interests of the BN and Pakatan. In fact, as a new member, I have much and am eager to learn from senior members of this Honourable Dewan, the Honourable members on both side of the political divide.

Indeed, I am guided by the time honoured statement of Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797), the British statesman and philosopher, who said, and I quote:

“Parliament is not a congress of ambassadors from different and hostile interests; which interests each must maintain, as an agent and advocate, against other agents and advocates; but parliament is a deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole; where, not local purposes, not local prejudices ought to guide, but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole. You choose a member indeed; but when you have chosen him, he is not a member of Bristol, but he is a member of parliament.”

I was henceforth, disappointed and annoyed when my question 3 submitted to this Honourable Dewan, was rejected on the ground that I am unable to substantiate the statement made in my question.

Dato Sri Speaker, nobody has ever asked me to substantiate whatever statement that I have made in my question No. 3.

In rejecting my question on such a ground, the charge proffered and framed against me was serious, and the sentence was passed without giving me a chance to defend myself. This, should not have happened to any Honourable member of this Dewan.

I am not being personal, contrary to deliberate suspicion and doubt of certain quarters. In fact, I was being told by my sources that Yang Amat Berhormat the honourable member of Balingian was not aware of the matter.

In all sincerity, I am raising the matter as a member of this honourable Dewan, in the interests of the state, to inculcate good governance

Dato Sri Speaker, any right thinking person would be alarmed, to notice particulars of the timber licenses as follows:-

1. Timber Licence T/8487 issued on 21 March 2011 over the NCR Land at Lemanak Area, Lubok Antu, with a concession area of 3,281 ha;

2. Timber Licence T/8493 issued on 25 March 2011 over the Stateland at Batang Ai / Sg Engkari area within Batang Ai Catchment, with a concession area of 830 ha;

3. Timber Licence T/8492 issued on 25 March 2011 over the catchment area and NCR land measuring 2,250 ha adjoining T/8493;

4. Timber Licence T/3568 issued on 11 April 2011 over the Stateland at Sg Dangap/Sg Bian area in Pakan District, with a concession area of 3,367 ha;

5. Timber Licence T/8497 issued on 14 April 2011 over the Stateland between Sg Tu and Sg Sangang at the west side of Sg Sarawak Kiri, which is the Bengoh water catchment area, with a concession area of 2,612 ha;

Then, we have T/8496, next to the Bengoh timber concession area covered under T/8497, T/3567 in Balai Ringin, T/3561 and T/3566 in Kanowit and T/9181 in Bakong.

It is understood that there are more than these aforesaid timber licenses being issued in between the time when the previous State Assembly was dissolved on 21 March 2011 and polling on 16 April 2011.

Besides the improper timing in the issuance of the timber licences, it is blatant contravention of our laws to issue timber concession licences over water catchment areas and known NCR lands. Credibility, Accountability and Transparency, which are the hallmarks of good governance, as the state governments of Selangor, Penang, Kelantan and Kedah have shown, are what we aspired. And it is based on these sound principles of governance that this Dewan demands answers from the government of the day.

As I have said earlier, it appears so, and I was quite relieved when I researched into the background of the companies and concession holders that I am not looking at one particular person and or his family. I therefore urge that Ahli Yang Amat Berhormat the Chief Minister would look into this matter and enlighten us as to his findings.

Dato Sri Speaker, I therefore hold firm in my belief that my Question 3 is proper and justified. And I raised the question to uphold the interests of the people of Sarawak, the constitution and the laws of Sarawak and Malaysia, as we have sworn to perform and achieve as honourable members of this Dewan.

Dato Sri Speaker, when we stand up and speak in this Honourable Dewan, it is my respectful opinion that we should not be deem to be advocating different and hostile political interests of the BN and Pakatan Rakyat.

Indeed, for the general good of all Sarawakians, and Malaysians, we should be able to work together, complement each others, despite our different political affiliations.

In the run-up to the recently concluded state election, the honourable Prime Minister had made election pledges in excess of RM600 million, to voters in various parts of Sarawak. On the other hand, the honourable Deputy Prime Minister announced projects to the tune of RM200 million. And it has just being revealed in the parliament that a total of 62 projects and programmes were promised, with an aggregate worth of RM1.18 billion.

Two months have passed, and 2 months of deafening silence from the country’s top 2 leaders as to the realization of the election pledges.

It therefore called upon us, from both sides of the political divide, to work together, to accelerate the delivery of these election pledges, in the interests of all Sarawakians.

Our combine commitments and dedication will certainly make this motherland a great and model democracy.

And there are friends of Sarawak who are eager to and tirelessly contributing towards the democratization and conscientization of our state and all our rakyat.

It therefore calls to questions, the “Not To Land” orders which were slapped on exemplary fellow Malaysians personalities such as former Bar Council President Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, university lecturer Dr Wong Chin Huat, lawyer activist Haris Ibrahim, human rights and social activists Ong Boon Kiong, Steven Ng, Cynthia Gabriel, Jerald Gomez, Colin Nicholas, Dr Kua Kia Soong, and many others including even Member of Parliament Sdr Sivarasa Rasiah.

This certainly reflected badly on the state’s governance.

Dato Sri Speaker, our state’s lack of resolve to address the sexual harassment of Penan women and young girls and violation of their rights is another matter subjecting us to unrelenting international criticisms.

Last month, 7 May to be exact, another letter was written by the coalition of Malaysian NGOs, the Penan Support Group together with other women’s rights NGOs, addressing to the UN Special Rapportuer on Violence against Women and the UN Special Rapportuer on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples.

The following are factual:-

Facts:

1. 1995 – First known case of rape of Penan young woman reported to police;

2. The 2009 Federal Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development’s Task Force Report confirmed that sexual violence and exploitation of Penan women and young girls in Sarawak occurred;

3. The Ministerial Task Force was set up in response to the public outcry which was resulted after the local and national newspapers reported on the matter;

4. Regional and Malaysian NGO Fact Finding Mission recorded seven new allegations of sexual violence in July 2010;

5. May 2011, a Penan woman reported rape to the police;

Facts about the situation of the Penan:

1. Nothing has changed regarding the situation placing young girls and women in rural areas vulnerable to sexual violence;

2. More reports of rape are surfacing to indicate the utter neglect of the government to protect one of the most marginalized communities in Sarawak;

3. Through the state governments of Selangor and Penang, a car specifically dedicated to transporting school children, one of the identified group of Penan rape survivors, is the only known change dedicated to prevent sexual violence. However, it is a fact that one vehicle is grossly inadequate to cover all needed settlements;

Where Good Governance is needed:

1. Dedicate a special task force to demonstrate the seriousness of the government in protecting vulnerable Sarawakians from hideous crime of rape;
2. Immediate implementation and follow-up with the recommendations set forth by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development’s Task Force Report on sexual violence and exploitation of Penan women and young girls in Sarawak;
3. Working with communities and other stakeholders to address the specific issues of rape in rural areas;
4. Legislate to ensure structural changes are in place to protect girls and women from all form of harm; and
5. Courageous and righteous, and expected to lead by rising beyond party politics in defending the rights of all Sarawakians, especially those most marginalized and in the specific rapes, to demonstrate the government’s duty-bound to act on solving problems and ultimately to prevent sexual harassment and violation from happening in rural Sarawak.

We want to know, what are the state government’s efforts and to what extents have the state ministries and agencies corroborated assisted and working together with the Federal Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to ensure that the recommendations arising from the Federal cabinet’s National Task Force Report, released in September 2009 (Laporan Jawatankuasa Bertindak Peringkat Kebangsaan Bagi Menyiasat Dakwaan Penderaan Seksual Terhadap Wanita Kaum Penan Di Sarawak), are implemented.

And specifically, we are hopeful that the honourable minister will enlighten us as to the total federal and state allocation, for 2008 to 2011 respectively, to fund the transportation of Penan students to and from their schools, the names of the Penan settlements and the number of students provided with transportation to such primary and secondary schools, and the number of trips provided each year.

Dato Sri Speaker, we are not living in a perfect world. However, if all the honourable members of this Dewan put our minds and acts together, if we discard our political differences and hostility, if we look at the collective interests and wellness of the state and the people, we can make Sarawak a better place for us and our future generations to live.

In conclusion, Dato Sri Speaker, I would like to volunteer and offer the Pakatan Rakyat’s policies and programmes which are necessary to bring the country and the state forward. I would therefore recommend the Buku Jingga to all honourable members of this House.

Thank you.

Debate Speech by Ali Biju

Debate Speech by Ali Biju, ADUN N34 (Krian), on Motion To Appreciate the Speech by the TYT Governor

Datuk Sri Speaker Sir,

I rise to join my honourable colleagues in this august House to participate in the debate in respect of the Motion to appreciate our TYT’s address.

Whilst TYT’s speech encompasses numerous issues, touching on the socio-economy of Sarawak, I shall raise some issues pertinent to my constituency N34 Krian in particular and Sarawak in general.

Datuk Sri Speaker, Sarawak’s rural population has been in acute poverty since independence. The World Bank confirmed late last year that Sarawak has achieved the dubious distinction of being one of the poorest states in Malaysia. The Director General of the Economic Unit Datuk Dr. Sulaiman Mahbob disclosed that the poorest people in Malaysia are indigenous communities living in Sarawak and Sabah and that a high level of income disparity contributes to a high level of poverty since a smaller share of income is obtained by those at the bottom of the income distribution. According to the IMF and the World Bank, the causes of inequality are: (i) improper government policies and (ii) exploitation by government agencies and businesses with power and influence.

Land Development Policies - Plantation

At Krian Ulu, many landowners have participated in SALCRA (Sarawak Land Consolidated and Rehabilitation Authority) schemes to develop their land for the last 15 years with high hopes of getting benefits in terms of dividends. SALCRA has land coverage of 48,721 ha of oil palm estate. Early this year SALCRA, through the Minister of Agriculture, announced the amount of dividends in the sum of RM74, 260,000.00 to be distributed to participants for 2011. Landowners were very happy and excited to hear this good news since it means on average, each participant could receive about RM1,500.00 per ha. However, the participants at Krian Ulu received almost nothing. So, I strongly demand that SALCRA, in particular, the Minister in charge, explain to the affected landowners the reasons they got almost nothing.

If during this period of high commodity price of palm oil, SALCRA is still not making profit, may I suggest that SALCRA revert and return the cultivated land back to landowners immediately and not wait for the agreed period of 25 years? I believe many of the participants are in better positions to manage their own land profitably.

Some SALCRA land areas are not even planted yet with oil palm. I have also received the Statement of Account for the Year Ended Dec. 31, 2009 of SALCRA which states that the net profits for “authority” and “group” are RM12, 775,332 and RM22, 475,081 respectively. So, when the Minister cum Chairman announced dividends of RM74 million, I wonder where the profit has come from. The Minister should furnish us with the Statement of Account Ended Dec. 31, 2010 to explain this disparity.

Another agency that is involved in land development is PELITA which is under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister. PELITA has been cultivating land under “New Concept” in many areas of Sarawak such as Kanowit, Meruan, Dijih and Mukah. PELITA also has about 9,000 ha of provisional lease of NCR land in Kabo-Awik-Budu area. In reference to this type of development and poor testimonials of PELITA, the majority of landowners in my constituency particularly in Kabo-Awik-Budu areas do not want to participate in this so called New Concept JV land development.

Any proposed agreement to develop land through this New Concept between PELITA and community leaders like Tuai Rumah, Penghulu or Pemanca is legally null and void because community leaders are in neither legal nor traditional positions to represent anybody with regard to private land ownership. As such, there must be no coercion or intimidation or pressure at all on those who refuse to participate. The names of native landowners who refuse to participate in Kabo-Awik-Budu scheme will be submitted to PELITA soon.

Instead of participating in large scale “New Concept”, mono-crop land development, the landowners prefer to develop their own land through agencies of their choice like RISDA, smallholdings under RME-Rubber Mini Estate or Palm Oil Mini Estate concepts. Smaller scale land development is more environmentally friendly since not all areas are cultivated. It is also sustainable in the sense that it guarantees that our future generations will have land to live on.

The IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) Rural Poverty Report 2011 highlights changes in agricultural markets that are providing new opportunities for smallholders to increase productivity. The report emphasizes “there remains an urgent need to invest more and better in agriculture and rural areas” based on a new approach to smallholder agriculture that is both market oriented and sustainable. The report makes it clear that it is time to look at poor smallholders in a completely new way as people whose innovation, dynamism and hard work will bring prosperity to their community. The report also states that low levels of investment in agriculture, weak infrastructure, low production and lack of financial services make it hard for smallholders to participate in the agricultural market.

It is to my dismay that the State Government closed an office of the Agricultural Department at Ng Budu.

I also believe that the Farmers Organization is sliding backward and not of any assistance to the farmers anymore.

It is of paramount importance that the authorities concerned should deploy more resources and relieve the situation through technical measures such as:

(a) Introducing the new concept of agro-enterprise;

(b) Promoting agricultural development on mini-estates or smallholdings for crops like rubber and oil palm with infrastructure assistance from the government; and

(c) Providing more allocation for agencies such as RISDA and MPOB.

Landowners want to control and manage their own land in their own style. If they cultivate a few hectares of rubber trees or oil palm with proper guidance or assistance from the government, which many of them are capable of, they should be able to get quite a decent income of RM2, 000/month. If they can make RM2, 000/month, a lot of rural people who are working at various parts of Malaysia such as Johor and KL will be willing to go back to their longhouses to cultivate their lands. In this way, we will be able to reverse the rural-urban migration which has created many socio-economic problems in the city and rural community as well. Currently, general labourers in oil palm plantations are paid a daily wage of RM17-RM20, amounting to around RM450/month, which is far below the poverty line RM750/month.

According to Robert Pringle’s authoritative book “Rajah and Rebels” written and published in the 1970s, more than 2 million rubber trees were officially planted in Krian area during a brief period of colonial time which covered areas totalling more than 5,000 hectares. Total cultivated areas including unrecorded areas were probably double that figure, being close to 10,000 hectares. A lot of rural communities participated actively and rubber was the major contributor of cash income. Some of them, by their own initiative, even managed to cultivate bigger areas to become mini-estates of sorts and employing many rubber tappers from outside. This was possible due to assistance and advice given to planters by the government of the day.

Sadly, more than 2 generations later, the livelihood of these members of the rural community still depends very much on these rubber trees that were planted by our late grandparents. So far, the government has cultivated approximately 3,500 hectares of rubber trees in the last 15 years in the Krian area. Considering the population growth during the last two generations, this quantity is not sufficient. If you visit longhouses in Krian constituency and ask them where their income comes from, do not be surprised if they say 70%-80% of longhouse dwellers depend on rubber from their grandparents’ trees to survive.

Provisional Licences for Plantation

The state government has issued provisional leases within Krian constituency which overlaps with NCR land:

(i) Lot 410 Blk 18 Krian Awik LD to Kenyalang Resources Sdn Bhd (now known as THP Saribas Sdn Bhd) in the area of Bajau-Selambong-Sedan-Jenggara

(ii) Lot 3 Blk 16 Krian Awik LD to Kenyalang Resourses Sdn Bhd (now known as THP Saribas Sdn Bhd) in the area of Sg Gruyu

(iii) Lot 155 & 156 Kalaka LD to Kenyalang Resources Sdn Bhd (now known as THP Saribas Sdn Bhd) in the area of Jln Pusa Sessang

(iv) Licence for planted forest to No. LPF/0034 to R.H. Forest Corporation Sdn Bhd.

The companies that have been given PL have encroached illegally into NCR lands of the native communities. This has resulted in disputes over rights to land and resources. Currently, there a a few cases where natives have initiated legal action against PL holders and Land Survey Department.

Logging

Tuan Speaker,

The government has issued many logging licences within NCR lands in my constituency. This has created a lot of animosity among rural community since most of them disagree with logging activity. Logging has destroyed our Pemakai Menoa and Pulau Galau which provide the natives with valuable construction materials to build longhouses, boats and other wooden amenities vital to our way of living.

It is very unfortunate that the state government has issued timber licences in my constituency without the prior informed consent of the native landowners. Listed are the known timber licences issued by the state government in Krian area without prior consent of native landowners.

(a) T/3436 – issued to Vita Hill Sdn Bhd which overlaps NCR land in the area of Dassey, Budu

(b) T/3463 – issued to Pelita Holding Sdn Bhd which overlaps NCR land in the area of Kabo-Awik

(c) T/8475 – issued to Syarikat Kayu Rimba which overlaps NCR land in the area of Mapar-Babang

(d) T/3431 – issued to Tunggal Enterprise which overlaps NCR land in the area of Mudong

(e) T/3497 – issued to Solid Sunshine which overlaps NCR land in the area of Awik-Seblak.

(f) Timber licence also issued to Sebetan area.

All of these licences were issued without prior consent of native landowners. As such, the State Government must withdraw the licenses.

For example, Rh Gayan of Dassey, Budu, in my constituency has been affected by Vita Hill Sdn Bhd’s logging activity. Various complaints had been made to the authorities. However, no action was taken. Left without an avenue for redress, the Rh Gayan community took the matter to High Court and legal process is still ongoing.

The State Government has issued timber Licence No. T/8440 to a RM2 company namely Budimar Sdn Bhd. Its subcontractor is Rimba Jaya Lumber Sdn Bhd at the vicinity of Bukit Pengajar. The company is in the process of constructing a logging road from the Ulu Krian road towards the concession area through lands of the Iban community particularly in the Sg Pilai area. If the company proceeds with this plan, besides doing damage to environment, biodiversity and ecosystem, logging trucks will totally destroy the roads of Ulu Krian and Rimbas roads, which are already in poor condition.

Infrastructure, Amenities and Utilities

Tuan Speaker,

Basic requirements such as road, water and electricity are basic human rights. Any government of the day must provide these necessities to all its people regardless of their political affiliations.

Road : The road system in the Krian constituency is in a very bad shape particularly roads to Ulu Krian, Kabo, Budu, Awik, Bajau, Engkudu, Ibus and Babang. Ulu Krian Road and Awik Road were Federal roads constructed more than 30 years ago but their condition is similar to that of logging roads. I urge the government to ensure tar-seal to be implemented immediately as promised by the PM during the last state election.

Electricity : The majority of my constituents do not have electricity. Only recently we noticed that power posts have been erected along roads in Krian, Budu, Kabo, and Awik. I urge the government to speed up the work to get power supply to every longhouse, school and clinic in my constituency.

Water : Clean water is also a major issue in my constituency as many longhouses are still getting drinking water from rivers or unreliable gravity water. The water is not hygienic and contains germs and bacteria that can cause diseases. I urge the government to carry out the construction of a new dam at Kaki Wong to start immediately as promised by the PM during the last state election. On top of that, the current water supply from Lichok Water Treatment Plant is not capable of providing the water needs for all people in Saratok areas. During the dry season Lichok WTP runs out of water. What is the state government doing about this?

In conclusion, Datuk Sri Speaker, I urge this august House to seriously look into the matters I have raised. These issues are not mere political rhetoric. These are bread and butter issues affecting the peoples of Sarawak and it is the ultimate responsibility of this House to take these matters seriously and it is incumbent upon the respective Ministers in charge to act accordingly to alleviate the suffering of the rakyat. Demi Rakyat.

Thank you Datuk Sri Speaker Sir for giving me this opportunity to air my views.