(This story first appeared in Free Malaysia Today)
KUCHING: Sarawak PKR Chief Baru Bian calls on the Election Commission and Malaysian Anti-corruption Commission to immediately investigate an allegation that Barisan Nasional had resorted to vote-buying to the win the Bawan Assan seat.
Bian was commenting on a news item on 100 Ibans who stormed the SUPP Office in Sibu on Monday demanding that they be paid the balance of RM400 each.
The natives from two longhouses of Rumah Chandi and Rumah Pasang claimed that they were given RM100 as an upfront payment before voting day and promised another RM400 for each voter after the election.
It is understood they have been paid the RM400.
But Ibans from another longhouse are also claiming the same amount.
Asked to comment on this, Bian said: “This is solid evidence that the BN won by ‘rasuah’ whereas we in Pakatan Rakyat lost but retained our ‘meruah’.
“This appears to be the practice everywhere including N70 Ba’Kelalan,” said Bian who was elected as assemblyman for Ba’Kelalan.
“I demand EC and MACC to investigate immediately. This is proof of our fear in the first place that this election would be the dirtiest
“We want to see how neutral and effective EC and MACC are,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Sibu SUPP Bumiputra committee Andrew Shilling denied the allegations and accused DAP and Sibu Election Watch (SEW) of making ‘absurd’ claim.
“It is very absurd, not true and baseless to say we were distributing RM400 election money to 100 Ibans as reported,” he said, claiming that the accusations had damaged the reputation of the Ibans and they are considering taking legal action.
Shilling, who is a political secretary to the Chief Minister, admitted however that he met 18 longhouse chiefs and representatives of village development and security committee (JKKK) at the SUPP headquarters on Monday to discuss payment of wages for election workers.
He said that the group of people who assembled on the ground floor of the headquarters had nothing to do with the party.
“They could be supporters of the opposition parties,” he said.
SUPP-BN candidate Wong Soon Koh was re-elected to the Bawan Assan constituency defeating DAP candidate Alice Lau Kiong Yieng with a majority of 1,808 votes.
Wong secured 7,316 votes as against 5,508 votes by Alice Lau.
The constituency has 16,743 voters, out of which 5,834 are Iban voters.
It is said that Wong’s victory was due to the strong support given by the Ibans.
Thursday, April 28
Tuesday, April 26
Baram dam and politics
KUCHING: A total of 4,180 votes were cast against the PBB-BN candidate Dennis Ngau in protest against the construction of the Baram dam.
“These native people who voted against the BN government have clearly expressed their strong objection by voting for the Opposition during the recently concluded state election,” said Raymond Abin, the national coordinator of Sarawak Conservation Alliance for Natural Environment (SCANE).
“The government should heed the strong objection of the people who are going to be affected by the dam,” said Abin on behalf of SCANE which is a coalition of several non-governmental organizations, has called on the state Barisan Nasional government to stop with the construction of the Baram dam.
“The government should immediately stop the project,” he said, when asked to respond to remarks made by Peter Kallang, chairman of Miri Orang Ulu Association.
“Even though the PBB-BN candidate defeated the ‘hot favourite’ Harrison Ngau, his victory was due to the support given by 2184 Iban voters in the Lubok Nibong area.
“Furthermore, his victory was also the result of the split in the opposition votes,” he said, pointing out that those who supported the PBB-BN candidate were after immediate material and financial gains as well as promises made to them.
Even then the support among the PBB-BN hardcore members had also declined sharply, he said.
“But in the Kayan and Kenyah communities which are going to be affected by the dam, the PBB-BN candidate lost heavily.
“And with almost half of the 13,623 votes in the constituency cast against the government, the government should not proceed with the dam construction,” he said.
“This is the message of strong objection by the natives against the construction of the dam,” he declared, adding that the government better heed it.
The results of last week’s election showed that Dennis obtained 3,597 votes defeating Harrison by 845 votes.
Harrison received 2,752 votes, while Kebing Wan of Sarawak National Party obtained 705votes and an independent candidate Jok Din managed to get 623 votes.
Meanwhile, Kallang, the Miri OUNA chairman, warned the state BN government that it may lose the Baram parliamentary constituency to the Opposition if it does not heed the protest votes cast against it.
He said that the election results showed that all those living in areas affected by the construction of the dam had voted against the Barisan Nasional.
Twenty-five longhouses with a population of more than 20,000 natives comprising Kayans, Kenyahs and Penans will be moved out from the areas once the construction begins.
Kallang who is also the chairman of Sarawak Kenyah Association in Miri said that the government should stop the damp project.
“It is still not too late to stop the dam project and the government should listen to the people or else it will lose the Baram seat,” he said.
In the 2006 state election, Lihan Jok of PBB won the seat for the Barisan Nasional with a 2771-vote majority.
Lihan refused to defend his seat as he knew that he might lose the Telang Usan seat after he described the Baram dam as the “gift of God”.
His remarks irked the voters.
“These native people who voted against the BN government have clearly expressed their strong objection by voting for the Opposition during the recently concluded state election,” said Raymond Abin, the national coordinator of Sarawak Conservation Alliance for Natural Environment (SCANE).
“The government should heed the strong objection of the people who are going to be affected by the dam,” said Abin on behalf of SCANE which is a coalition of several non-governmental organizations, has called on the state Barisan Nasional government to stop with the construction of the Baram dam.
“The government should immediately stop the project,” he said, when asked to respond to remarks made by Peter Kallang, chairman of Miri Orang Ulu Association.
“Even though the PBB-BN candidate defeated the ‘hot favourite’ Harrison Ngau, his victory was due to the support given by 2184 Iban voters in the Lubok Nibong area.
“Furthermore, his victory was also the result of the split in the opposition votes,” he said, pointing out that those who supported the PBB-BN candidate were after immediate material and financial gains as well as promises made to them.
Even then the support among the PBB-BN hardcore members had also declined sharply, he said.
“But in the Kayan and Kenyah communities which are going to be affected by the dam, the PBB-BN candidate lost heavily.
“And with almost half of the 13,623 votes in the constituency cast against the government, the government should not proceed with the dam construction,” he said.
“This is the message of strong objection by the natives against the construction of the dam,” he declared, adding that the government better heed it.
The results of last week’s election showed that Dennis obtained 3,597 votes defeating Harrison by 845 votes.
Harrison received 2,752 votes, while Kebing Wan of Sarawak National Party obtained 705votes and an independent candidate Jok Din managed to get 623 votes.
Meanwhile, Kallang, the Miri OUNA chairman, warned the state BN government that it may lose the Baram parliamentary constituency to the Opposition if it does not heed the protest votes cast against it.
He said that the election results showed that all those living in areas affected by the construction of the dam had voted against the Barisan Nasional.
Twenty-five longhouses with a population of more than 20,000 natives comprising Kayans, Kenyahs and Penans will be moved out from the areas once the construction begins.
Kallang who is also the chairman of Sarawak Kenyah Association in Miri said that the government should stop the damp project.
“It is still not too late to stop the dam project and the government should listen to the people or else it will lose the Baram seat,” he said.
In the 2006 state election, Lihan Jok of PBB won the seat for the Barisan Nasional with a 2771-vote majority.
Lihan refused to defend his seat as he knew that he might lose the Telang Usan seat after he described the Baram dam as the “gift of God”.
His remarks irked the voters.
Friday, April 22
A new coalition government?
KUCHING: Speculation is rife in Kuching about the formation of a new coalition government between Pakatan Rakyat and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) together with the Dayak-based parties of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).
Altogether they have a simple majority of 36 seats including a seat held by an independent. Thirty-five seats are held by PBB in the 71 seats in the state assembly.
The rumours sparked off after PRS President James Masing called for closure of Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and its members join PRS as well as his call for the merger between his party and SPDP be sped up in order to strengthen the voice of the Dayak community.
Even DAP national adviser Lim Kit Siang called for the merger of SNAP and DAP.
Dayak leaders in the non-governmental organisations have expressed strong support for this new coalition.
They suggest that Masing be made the chief minister of the new coalition, while Baru Bian from PKR and Chong Chieng Jen of DAP be made deputy chief ministers.
Top Pakatan Rakyat leaders including Anwar Ibrahim, PKR President Wan Azizah and Deputy President Azmin Ali and Lim Kit Siang will be in Kuching this week-end.
According to a message from the State PKR headquarters, a special announcement will be made.
What is this special message is all about no one really knows, but many suggest it could be connected to the discussion on the formation of the new coalition.
Said a political observer: “This is the real reason why Abdul Taib Mahmud swore himself as chief minster soon after the results that the state BN government had just obtained its two-thirds majority.
“He has envisaged that this type of coalition may be formed in order to get rid of him as chief minister,” said the observer.
Leaders of the PRS, SPDP, SUPP and Pakatan Rakyat are not available for comment.
Altogether they have a simple majority of 36 seats including a seat held by an independent. Thirty-five seats are held by PBB in the 71 seats in the state assembly.
The rumours sparked off after PRS President James Masing called for closure of Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and its members join PRS as well as his call for the merger between his party and SPDP be sped up in order to strengthen the voice of the Dayak community.
Even DAP national adviser Lim Kit Siang called for the merger of SNAP and DAP.
Dayak leaders in the non-governmental organisations have expressed strong support for this new coalition.
They suggest that Masing be made the chief minister of the new coalition, while Baru Bian from PKR and Chong Chieng Jen of DAP be made deputy chief ministers.
Top Pakatan Rakyat leaders including Anwar Ibrahim, PKR President Wan Azizah and Deputy President Azmin Ali and Lim Kit Siang will be in Kuching this week-end.
According to a message from the State PKR headquarters, a special announcement will be made.
What is this special message is all about no one really knows, but many suggest it could be connected to the discussion on the formation of the new coalition.
Said a political observer: “This is the real reason why Abdul Taib Mahmud swore himself as chief minster soon after the results that the state BN government had just obtained its two-thirds majority.
“He has envisaged that this type of coalition may be formed in order to get rid of him as chief minister,” said the observer.
Leaders of the PRS, SPDP, SUPP and Pakatan Rakyat are not available for comment.
Wednesday, April 20
Is SNAP becoming irrelevant?
(This story has appeared in Free Malaysia Today)
KUCHING: After severe beating in the last week-end polls, Sarawak National Party (SNAP) has now withdrawn into a corner licking the wounds of its defeat.
“This defeat is not only shameful, but questions are being asked whether the party continues to be relevant or not,” said a former SNAP minister and leader.
The leader who refused to be named was an assistant minister in the good old days of the party in 1970s and 1980s.
All the 27 candidates of the party lost heavily in the rural areas which it claimed to be its traditional home ground and strongholds. Except for Tedong Anak Gunda in Pakan, all of its candidates including its president Edwin Dundang lost their deposits.
Dundang managed to secure 281 votes in the party’s so-called strong hold since September 1963 until November 2002 - a period of 39 years.
In Pakan Tedong Gunda secured 2,741 votes. But the voters had no choice. It was either him of SPDP President William Mawan Ikom.
“Isn’t it shameful to lose badly and to lose all the deposits?” the assistant minister asked.
The recently concluded state election was its second outing (the first was in 2006) after it was forced to leave the Barisan Nasional.
Following this crisis, SNAP’s fortunes began to dip down after nine of its elected representatives and senior party leaders left the party to form Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) due to the leadership crisis in 2002.
SPDP was immediately accepted to join the Barisan Nasional.
Adding to SNAP’s problem was the fact that it had been deregistered by the Registrar of Societies as a result of the crisis, but it appealed for stay of execution.
Following the court of appeal decision to remove the ROS’s order (deregistration) in June last year, SNAP started to rebrand and rejuvenate itself to become the party of the future.
Its programme of rebranding in January 2011 and February attracted a number of ex-Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) leaders as well as some financiers from peninsular Malaysia.
But things were not moving even though some financial resources had been given to them. Their lack of planning and slow moving forced some financial supporters to withdraw. Potential and educated Dayak leaders were reluctant to join the party.And yet their leaders talked big saying that SNAP should be dominant party in Sarawak and not Parti Keadilan Rakyat and not DAP.
“We must be given the leading role in Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat,” said its President.
“The party with its glorious past and representing the Dayak community should take the lead. Therefore SNAP felt insulted by PKR which wanted us to contest in only three seats,” he said.
“We have all the branches over the state with a membership of 123,000,” he said, declaring that it would contest in all Dayak majority seats.
Even it asked for 48 seats including the 29 Dayak majority seats.
PKR, a peninsular-based party, should stay away from these constituencies, he said.
SNAP secretary general Stanley Jugol suggested that PKR candidates should contest using SNAP’s symbol.
“We are more popular than PKR,” he said.
Of course PKR was not fool as it knew its strength. After all it has been preparing to contest against the state Barisan Nasional since 2006.
SNAP blamed PKR for the failed negotiation and left Pakatan Rakyat, a coalition of PKR, DAP and PAS.
Efforts by PKR to negotiate for seats were ignored. Telephones and ‘smses’ went unanswered.
Days before nomination days, the movement of change, Sarawak (MoCS) revealed that SNAP’s financiers John Soh had withdrawn supporting the party due to lack of commitment given to the party and its lack of planning and direction.
A number of sympathetic organisations also announced their disassociation with the party, leaving it in a limbo.
But the most devastating effect on SNAP’s credibility was the disclosure that it had obtained some funds from UMNO to fight not only Taib Mahmud, but also PKR.
That little piece of news spread like wildfire in the rural areas especially in the constitunecies where SNAP was contesting.
Despite these handicaps, SNAP leaders insisted that it would contest in the Dayak majority and some mixed constituencies.
During a Press conference, a question was privately asked why did SNAP put some ‘lousy and bangkrupt’ candidates to contest.
Jugol replied that it was to ensure that PKR would not contest in those constituencies since SNAP had announced its candidates.
Their reasoning backfired as it pointed to SNAP’s selfish decision – its main aim was to prevent PKR from contesting in these constituencies, but missed the bigger picture that of ousting the BN leaders.
“That will give SNAP not only a wrong impression and perception to the voters, but in the process it lost its integrity and credibility” said a political analyst.
SNAP’s leaders should realise that after eight years in the “ICU” it was suddenly waken from the deep ‘slumber’ at the time when the state was preparing for its 10th state election.
“It is still weak and cannot talk big,” said the analyst.
Worst, it wanted to contest not only in two to three seats, but the whole of the 29 Dayak majority seats and 19 other mixed constituencies.
People were laughing at them especially the BN component parties as it helped to split the Dayak votes much against the Patakan Rakyat’s desire for a one-to-one fight against the BN candidates in all the 71 seats.
“This was SNAP’s biggest political blunder.
“The party should not have contested but continued to rebrand or rejuvenate itself until perhaps the next state election,” said a political scientist.
“SNAP should only think of contesting in 2015 election. By then it has fully recovered from the eight years in the political doldrum,” he said.
From onward, there are two things that it must do if it wants to continue to stay relevance. First, the party calls for an urgent emergency meeting to discuss the future of the party.
Second, the present committee must all resign to open the way for new, young and capable leaders to take over. Otherwise, the party will be further reduced into smaller than a mosquito party.
And third, it must return to the fold of the Pakatan Rakyat. On its own, SNAP cannot remain to become a single party purely representing the Dayaks.
Sectarian political parties are no longer relevant to serve the narrow and bigoted interest of a community.
It needs to be together with national based parties like PKR and DAP in the effort to create a two-party system.
KUCHING: After severe beating in the last week-end polls, Sarawak National Party (SNAP) has now withdrawn into a corner licking the wounds of its defeat.
“This defeat is not only shameful, but questions are being asked whether the party continues to be relevant or not,” said a former SNAP minister and leader.
The leader who refused to be named was an assistant minister in the good old days of the party in 1970s and 1980s.
All the 27 candidates of the party lost heavily in the rural areas which it claimed to be its traditional home ground and strongholds. Except for Tedong Anak Gunda in Pakan, all of its candidates including its president Edwin Dundang lost their deposits.
Dundang managed to secure 281 votes in the party’s so-called strong hold since September 1963 until November 2002 - a period of 39 years.
In Pakan Tedong Gunda secured 2,741 votes. But the voters had no choice. It was either him of SPDP President William Mawan Ikom.
“Isn’t it shameful to lose badly and to lose all the deposits?” the assistant minister asked.
The recently concluded state election was its second outing (the first was in 2006) after it was forced to leave the Barisan Nasional.
Following this crisis, SNAP’s fortunes began to dip down after nine of its elected representatives and senior party leaders left the party to form Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) due to the leadership crisis in 2002.
SPDP was immediately accepted to join the Barisan Nasional.
Adding to SNAP’s problem was the fact that it had been deregistered by the Registrar of Societies as a result of the crisis, but it appealed for stay of execution.
Following the court of appeal decision to remove the ROS’s order (deregistration) in June last year, SNAP started to rebrand and rejuvenate itself to become the party of the future.
Its programme of rebranding in January 2011 and February attracted a number of ex-Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) leaders as well as some financiers from peninsular Malaysia.
But things were not moving even though some financial resources had been given to them. Their lack of planning and slow moving forced some financial supporters to withdraw. Potential and educated Dayak leaders were reluctant to join the party.And yet their leaders talked big saying that SNAP should be dominant party in Sarawak and not Parti Keadilan Rakyat and not DAP.
“We must be given the leading role in Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat,” said its President.
“The party with its glorious past and representing the Dayak community should take the lead. Therefore SNAP felt insulted by PKR which wanted us to contest in only three seats,” he said.
“We have all the branches over the state with a membership of 123,000,” he said, declaring that it would contest in all Dayak majority seats.
Even it asked for 48 seats including the 29 Dayak majority seats.
PKR, a peninsular-based party, should stay away from these constituencies, he said.
SNAP secretary general Stanley Jugol suggested that PKR candidates should contest using SNAP’s symbol.
“We are more popular than PKR,” he said.
Of course PKR was not fool as it knew its strength. After all it has been preparing to contest against the state Barisan Nasional since 2006.
SNAP blamed PKR for the failed negotiation and left Pakatan Rakyat, a coalition of PKR, DAP and PAS.
Efforts by PKR to negotiate for seats were ignored. Telephones and ‘smses’ went unanswered.
Days before nomination days, the movement of change, Sarawak (MoCS) revealed that SNAP’s financiers John Soh had withdrawn supporting the party due to lack of commitment given to the party and its lack of planning and direction.
A number of sympathetic organisations also announced their disassociation with the party, leaving it in a limbo.
But the most devastating effect on SNAP’s credibility was the disclosure that it had obtained some funds from UMNO to fight not only Taib Mahmud, but also PKR.
That little piece of news spread like wildfire in the rural areas especially in the constitunecies where SNAP was contesting.
Despite these handicaps, SNAP leaders insisted that it would contest in the Dayak majority and some mixed constituencies.
During a Press conference, a question was privately asked why did SNAP put some ‘lousy and bangkrupt’ candidates to contest.
Jugol replied that it was to ensure that PKR would not contest in those constituencies since SNAP had announced its candidates.
Their reasoning backfired as it pointed to SNAP’s selfish decision – its main aim was to prevent PKR from contesting in these constituencies, but missed the bigger picture that of ousting the BN leaders.
“That will give SNAP not only a wrong impression and perception to the voters, but in the process it lost its integrity and credibility” said a political analyst.
SNAP’s leaders should realise that after eight years in the “ICU” it was suddenly waken from the deep ‘slumber’ at the time when the state was preparing for its 10th state election.
“It is still weak and cannot talk big,” said the analyst.
Worst, it wanted to contest not only in two to three seats, but the whole of the 29 Dayak majority seats and 19 other mixed constituencies.
People were laughing at them especially the BN component parties as it helped to split the Dayak votes much against the Patakan Rakyat’s desire for a one-to-one fight against the BN candidates in all the 71 seats.
“This was SNAP’s biggest political blunder.
“The party should not have contested but continued to rebrand or rejuvenate itself until perhaps the next state election,” said a political scientist.
“SNAP should only think of contesting in 2015 election. By then it has fully recovered from the eight years in the political doldrum,” he said.
From onward, there are two things that it must do if it wants to continue to stay relevance. First, the party calls for an urgent emergency meeting to discuss the future of the party.
Second, the present committee must all resign to open the way for new, young and capable leaders to take over. Otherwise, the party will be further reduced into smaller than a mosquito party.
And third, it must return to the fold of the Pakatan Rakyat. On its own, SNAP cannot remain to become a single party purely representing the Dayaks.
Sectarian political parties are no longer relevant to serve the narrow and bigoted interest of a community.
It needs to be together with national based parties like PKR and DAP in the effort to create a two-party system.
Monday, April 18
Chinese interests represented by Dayaks
As we all know that SUPP lost 12 of its seats including the seat held by its President George Chan to the DAP.
Only two of the Chinese seats were retained, that is, the Bawan Asan seat by Wong Soon Koh and Senadin by Lee Kim Shin. Even then SUPP almost lost Senadin to PKR winning by 58 votes only in a constituency of 22,432 voters.
SUPP therefore depends on Dayak representatives of Johnichal Rayong of Engkilili, Francis Harden (Simanggang), Jerip Susil (Bengoh) and Ranum Mina (Opar) to articulate and fight for SUPP interests (read Chinese interests).
Mostly like to be appointed to the Taib cabinet are Wong Soon Koh and Lee Kim Shin as full ministers.
Francis Harden will continue to be an assistant minister and Jerip will be the new assistant minister. It is possible for Ranum to be appointed another assistant minister.
Rayong will be given a post as political secretary, or a director in government-linked companies. These will be their rewards for them to look after the Chinese interests.
The Chinese voters and community have rejected SUPP leaders. Only Dayak voters have voted for the SUPP leaders.
Had it not been for the substantial number of Dayak voters in Senadin (4,805 Dayaks) and Bawan Asan (5,834 Ibans), Lee and Wong would have lost.
The party was saved by the Dayak community, although previously SUPP had not only neglected the interests of the Dayaks but had also allowed its cronies to land-grab Dayak native customary rights (NCR) land. Examples of NCR land in Bau, Lundu, Simnaggang and Engkilili have been taken away from them and leased to SUPP-related crony companies.
So given a bigger voice in SUPP, the Dayak reps could also play a very vital role in the party urging the party (i) to give more government contracts, government posts like mayors, councillors, political secretaries, and directors in government-linked companies to the Dayaks, and (ii) to ask for more development funds to be channeled to the rural areas under SUPP.
Don’t distribute vegetable seeds, fish fry, pieces of zinc and chicks to the Dayak voters. They deserve better than that. Construct better and tar-sealed roads, electricity, clean water, medical services, schools, and etc.
So if you fail to carry out all these, then you are mere puppets in SUPP.
From now on, the public are watching you.
Only two of the Chinese seats were retained, that is, the Bawan Asan seat by Wong Soon Koh and Senadin by Lee Kim Shin. Even then SUPP almost lost Senadin to PKR winning by 58 votes only in a constituency of 22,432 voters.
SUPP therefore depends on Dayak representatives of Johnichal Rayong of Engkilili, Francis Harden (Simanggang), Jerip Susil (Bengoh) and Ranum Mina (Opar) to articulate and fight for SUPP interests (read Chinese interests).
Mostly like to be appointed to the Taib cabinet are Wong Soon Koh and Lee Kim Shin as full ministers.
Francis Harden will continue to be an assistant minister and Jerip will be the new assistant minister. It is possible for Ranum to be appointed another assistant minister.
Rayong will be given a post as political secretary, or a director in government-linked companies. These will be their rewards for them to look after the Chinese interests.
The Chinese voters and community have rejected SUPP leaders. Only Dayak voters have voted for the SUPP leaders.
Had it not been for the substantial number of Dayak voters in Senadin (4,805 Dayaks) and Bawan Asan (5,834 Ibans), Lee and Wong would have lost.
The party was saved by the Dayak community, although previously SUPP had not only neglected the interests of the Dayaks but had also allowed its cronies to land-grab Dayak native customary rights (NCR) land. Examples of NCR land in Bau, Lundu, Simnaggang and Engkilili have been taken away from them and leased to SUPP-related crony companies.
So given a bigger voice in SUPP, the Dayak reps could also play a very vital role in the party urging the party (i) to give more government contracts, government posts like mayors, councillors, political secretaries, and directors in government-linked companies to the Dayaks, and (ii) to ask for more development funds to be channeled to the rural areas under SUPP.
Don’t distribute vegetable seeds, fish fry, pieces of zinc and chicks to the Dayak voters. They deserve better than that. Construct better and tar-sealed roads, electricity, clean water, medical services, schools, and etc.
So if you fail to carry out all these, then you are mere puppets in SUPP.
From now on, the public are watching you.
Friday, April 15
The inside story of SUPP
By a former SUPP member
WHY SUPP DESERVES TO BE PUNISHED I am writing this from outside Sarawak as I migrated with my family to Australia last year.
I spent most of my working life in Miri and Kuching and as a businessmen, was forced to socialise with SUPP and other political leaders.
I got to be quite close to them, and became one of their “supporters” who was “required” to “help” during elections. I would like to appeal to all the voters, especially the Chinese voters, to vote for the opposition and not the SUPP.
Let give just relate some of the home truths about SUPP
1. SUPP under George Chan (GC) is not working for the Chinese but Taib Mahmud (TM). Forget the words but look at the action. TM took away the Kuching Mayor’s post and gave it to a civil servant (died) without consulting SUPP.
Before the announcement I was at a dinner with George Chan, Lee Kim Shim and Alan Sim (AS) and GC hinted that AS would make an excellent mayor for Kuching. AS was smiling so hard that you would have guessed that he was 100% sure that he would be the mayor. But TM simply gave it to someone else and GC could not do anything about it.
2. When the 2006 state elections came about, I was asked to “donate” to SUPP campaign in Kuching. My Miri branch manager told me that the SUPP Miri people (Andy Chia, Datuk Wee and gang) “asked” for my company vehicles to be “loan” to them for their campaign. When the issue of land lease came up, GC told us in a dinner function that he will “speak” to CM and CM would make an announcement at a unity dinner in Kuching.
I was forced to buy 3 tables at this dinner at Crowne Plaza. I was sitting a meter table away from the VIP table and I saw GC begging the CM to announce that he would renew the lease. CM just told GC, in front of everyone, I will announce in my own time.
Can you image the SUPP president’s shame? In front of the Chinese community, he cannot even get the CM to make a “hint” about the land lease. After the elections, I was having dinner with GC’s supporters in Miri and he told in a serious tone that CM refused to make the announcement because he wanted to “punish” the Chinese/SUPP for making “too much noise?
This meant that TM had already destroyed Iban unity by splitting PRS/PBDS into two factions and he wanted the Chinese to be the same while he prepared his children to come in and take over. This man even hinted that TM only dared to do this because GC was the SUPP president. GC cannot stand up to TM on any issue. He just gives in on every crucial issue. Why? I will tell you later.
3. During the 2006 state elections, one of SUPP’s biggest financial contributors, Ting Chek Si (TCS), a tycoon from Sibu, was not selected to defend his Meradong seat. His crime? TCS was in a business dispute with TM’s brother over the Sanyan group of companies.
TCS has sued TM’s brother for “oppression” and revealed that he gave TM’s brother 51% of the shares in the company in return for TM’s timber concessions. TM told George Chan to dump TCS and GC, like a good running dog, did as he was told. This is despite the fact that Meradong people wanted TCS because he was using his own money to provide help to Meradong.
The SUPP Central working committee even endorsed TCS’s name as candidate. What kind of party leader is GC if he dumped his own men and listen to PBB”s leader? Is SUPP a sub-branch of PBB? What is worse when TCS protested to GC, GC lied to his face straight and told him to keep quiet and TCS will be given another chance as senator. Of course GC did not keep his promise, he gave the senatorship to Sim Kheng Hui.
4. This is not the first time GC lied openly to his colleagues. In 2004 General Elections, he promised Law Hing Ding (LHD) that he will be nominated as the Minister but for the last term. George even put this in writing. After the elections, George nominated Datuk Peter Chin. Is it any wonder that LHD called GC a liar in the Chinese press and GC did not dare to sue him? If George Chan is a man of honour as he says he is, why does he not sue LHD for defamation? LHD even went to the extent of writing a complaint letter to all the SUPP CWC members and gave a copy to the PM and TM. He has documents to prove that GC is lying and backstabbed him.
5. You do not need to look at GC’s political games to know he is a fake. Just look at the way he behaves towards his first wife, Judy. He cheated on for some many years that she ran away. He had an open affair with Christina Foo of Priority One and gave the company a lot of state government consultancies.
During the search and rescue mission for the late Dr. Judson in the Kelabit highlands, he visited the place often to “direct” the search. The real reason was that he was chasing a Kelabit girl and took her to KL to be his mistress. Just ask anyone in the highlands and they will confirm this story. This girl is now driving a BMW and living in a semi-D in KL.
What kind of man would use a moment of anguish over a helicopter crash to think about sex and chasing girls. Is this a “leader” of the Sarawak Chinese community? Even worse, he allowed his daughter (the most beautiful one with white skin) to marry TM’s son.
When Sulaiman turned out to be playboy and started to hit the daughter, GC actually told the daughter to “bear it” as Sulaiman could ensure that she has a luxurious life. When Sulaiman heard this, he hit the poor daughter even harder and send her off to live in the states leaving him free to chase all sorts of girls in KL and Manila.
As a father, how could GC do all these things? The question is why? Why does GC do all these underhanded things? The answer is simple. The love of power and wealth.
He can only get power and wealth by being a running dog to TM and this is exactly what he has done. He has made SUPP weak because TM wants SUPP to be weak while the Melanau dynasty rules forever.
GC wants to enjoy the good things in life like fine wine (he has one of the finest wine collections in Malaysia) and women. He can only do this as deputy CM. With a leader like George Chan, who lies to his own senior party members, and reports to PBB and TM. Can we elect SUPP? If SUPP were to come out and say that it is a sub-branch of PBB, at least I will consider it as they will be telling the truth for the first time.
After all these nonsense I decided that I had better migrate. I do not want my children to deal with this sort of “leaders” and live in a country where the Chinese leaders are forever “kowtowing” to someone else.
I am not writing this out of spite. I encourage readers in Sarawak and elsewhere to investigate if what I say here is true. Even if 50% is true, don’t you think SUPP deserves to be punished?
The only way to get rid of George Chan and his group of “PBB-SUPP” members is to vote out SUPP until GC loses power. There is no other way.
I took the easy way out by migrating but that does not mean I do not love Sarawak or care for the future of Sarawak. It simply means I am too old. I am telling his story so that the younger generation will know the truth.
WHY SUPP DESERVES TO BE PUNISHED I am writing this from outside Sarawak as I migrated with my family to Australia last year.
I spent most of my working life in Miri and Kuching and as a businessmen, was forced to socialise with SUPP and other political leaders.
I got to be quite close to them, and became one of their “supporters” who was “required” to “help” during elections. I would like to appeal to all the voters, especially the Chinese voters, to vote for the opposition and not the SUPP.
Let give just relate some of the home truths about SUPP
1. SUPP under George Chan (GC) is not working for the Chinese but Taib Mahmud (TM). Forget the words but look at the action. TM took away the Kuching Mayor’s post and gave it to a civil servant (died) without consulting SUPP.
Before the announcement I was at a dinner with George Chan, Lee Kim Shim and Alan Sim (AS) and GC hinted that AS would make an excellent mayor for Kuching. AS was smiling so hard that you would have guessed that he was 100% sure that he would be the mayor. But TM simply gave it to someone else and GC could not do anything about it.
2. When the 2006 state elections came about, I was asked to “donate” to SUPP campaign in Kuching. My Miri branch manager told me that the SUPP Miri people (Andy Chia, Datuk Wee and gang) “asked” for my company vehicles to be “loan” to them for their campaign. When the issue of land lease came up, GC told us in a dinner function that he will “speak” to CM and CM would make an announcement at a unity dinner in Kuching.
I was forced to buy 3 tables at this dinner at Crowne Plaza. I was sitting a meter table away from the VIP table and I saw GC begging the CM to announce that he would renew the lease. CM just told GC, in front of everyone, I will announce in my own time.
Can you image the SUPP president’s shame? In front of the Chinese community, he cannot even get the CM to make a “hint” about the land lease. After the elections, I was having dinner with GC’s supporters in Miri and he told in a serious tone that CM refused to make the announcement because he wanted to “punish” the Chinese/SUPP for making “too much noise?
This meant that TM had already destroyed Iban unity by splitting PRS/PBDS into two factions and he wanted the Chinese to be the same while he prepared his children to come in and take over. This man even hinted that TM only dared to do this because GC was the SUPP president. GC cannot stand up to TM on any issue. He just gives in on every crucial issue. Why? I will tell you later.
3. During the 2006 state elections, one of SUPP’s biggest financial contributors, Ting Chek Si (TCS), a tycoon from Sibu, was not selected to defend his Meradong seat. His crime? TCS was in a business dispute with TM’s brother over the Sanyan group of companies.
TCS has sued TM’s brother for “oppression” and revealed that he gave TM’s brother 51% of the shares in the company in return for TM’s timber concessions. TM told George Chan to dump TCS and GC, like a good running dog, did as he was told. This is despite the fact that Meradong people wanted TCS because he was using his own money to provide help to Meradong.
The SUPP Central working committee even endorsed TCS’s name as candidate. What kind of party leader is GC if he dumped his own men and listen to PBB”s leader? Is SUPP a sub-branch of PBB? What is worse when TCS protested to GC, GC lied to his face straight and told him to keep quiet and TCS will be given another chance as senator. Of course GC did not keep his promise, he gave the senatorship to Sim Kheng Hui.
4. This is not the first time GC lied openly to his colleagues. In 2004 General Elections, he promised Law Hing Ding (LHD) that he will be nominated as the Minister but for the last term. George even put this in writing. After the elections, George nominated Datuk Peter Chin. Is it any wonder that LHD called GC a liar in the Chinese press and GC did not dare to sue him? If George Chan is a man of honour as he says he is, why does he not sue LHD for defamation? LHD even went to the extent of writing a complaint letter to all the SUPP CWC members and gave a copy to the PM and TM. He has documents to prove that GC is lying and backstabbed him.
5. You do not need to look at GC’s political games to know he is a fake. Just look at the way he behaves towards his first wife, Judy. He cheated on for some many years that she ran away. He had an open affair with Christina Foo of Priority One and gave the company a lot of state government consultancies.
During the search and rescue mission for the late Dr. Judson in the Kelabit highlands, he visited the place often to “direct” the search. The real reason was that he was chasing a Kelabit girl and took her to KL to be his mistress. Just ask anyone in the highlands and they will confirm this story. This girl is now driving a BMW and living in a semi-D in KL.
What kind of man would use a moment of anguish over a helicopter crash to think about sex and chasing girls. Is this a “leader” of the Sarawak Chinese community? Even worse, he allowed his daughter (the most beautiful one with white skin) to marry TM’s son.
When Sulaiman turned out to be playboy and started to hit the daughter, GC actually told the daughter to “bear it” as Sulaiman could ensure that she has a luxurious life. When Sulaiman heard this, he hit the poor daughter even harder and send her off to live in the states leaving him free to chase all sorts of girls in KL and Manila.
As a father, how could GC do all these things? The question is why? Why does GC do all these underhanded things? The answer is simple. The love of power and wealth.
He can only get power and wealth by being a running dog to TM and this is exactly what he has done. He has made SUPP weak because TM wants SUPP to be weak while the Melanau dynasty rules forever.
GC wants to enjoy the good things in life like fine wine (he has one of the finest wine collections in Malaysia) and women. He can only do this as deputy CM. With a leader like George Chan, who lies to his own senior party members, and reports to PBB and TM. Can we elect SUPP? If SUPP were to come out and say that it is a sub-branch of PBB, at least I will consider it as they will be telling the truth for the first time.
After all these nonsense I decided that I had better migrate. I do not want my children to deal with this sort of “leaders” and live in a country where the Chinese leaders are forever “kowtowing” to someone else.
I am not writing this out of spite. I encourage readers in Sarawak and elsewhere to investigate if what I say here is true. Even if 50% is true, don’t you think SUPP deserves to be punished?
The only way to get rid of George Chan and his group of “PBB-SUPP” members is to vote out SUPP until GC loses power. There is no other way.
I took the easy way out by migrating but that does not mean I do not love Sarawak or care for the future of Sarawak. It simply means I am too old. I am telling his story so that the younger generation will know the truth.
Latest news from Saratok
Hello brother. Tu cerita baru ti nyadi di Saratok ianya belabuh ari maia ngantung nama terus ngagai maia kami kempen.
Cerita keterubah ianya, lebuh maia udah ngantung nama, dia deh siko ari YB ari Selangor ianya Dr. Xavier Jayakumar lalu ngambat kami ti udah nganjung En. Ali Biju ti udah ngantung nama ba Dewan Perpustakaan di Saratok.
Lebuhmaia YB Dr. tu datai ba mua pagar, enda mukai – mukai Calon BN Peter Nyaruk mansa ia lalu nyebut jako ti pemadu ia ka jai ngagai Dr. Xavier, ianya '...... I will cop off your head......'.
Reti nya ia deka mumpung pala Dr. Xavier enggau bala ia ti datai ari Semenanjung. Ia Nyaruk) madah ka sida ari Semenanjung sengaja datai ke Sarawak laban ti deka ngacau sereta ngasut rakyat di N 34 Krian.
Ti nitih ka adapt demokrasi di serata dunya, kitai enda tau meri jako ti kelalu jai bakanya. Kami kempen ari PKR, nadai sekali-kali kami bejai ka Calon BN, kami nadai kala meri 'personal attack’ ngagai ia, tang Nyaruk selalu mengancam kami ditu kelebih lebih agi orang ti kereja perintah enggau orang ti udah pencen.
Ia selalu nganu tuai raban bansa (Tuai Rumah), enti sida enda ngundi BN, sida ia deka dibuai nyadi tuai!
Nyentuk ka diatu, maioh amat bala tuai-tuai rumah di kawasan N. 34 Krian takut ketegal jako ianya, lalu enggai meda kami ti kempen ari PKR enggai parti pembangkang ti bukai.
Siti cunto ulah sida BN ti enda manah ianya, lebuh maia sida BN kempen di Rh. Buchai Kedoh, Roban, dia deh siko ari Ketua Wanita SPDP ti benama, Dios anak Kusam, lalu ngeruntun sereta encharik ka poster calon PKR lalu diindik ia. Bala penyokong PKR maioh amat enda puas ati ketegal pengawa sida ia. Aku agi besabar, ti nitih ka gaya, aku tau ngaga polis report, tang aku enda ngaga report laban ti agi ngenang diri sama diri ti deka begulai sejalai, lebih-lebih agi orang ti nyukung BN sama-sama orang kami ditu. Kami bebasa ke sida, tang sida enda bebasa ka kami!
Cunto kedua, ia nya enti kitai mansang ngagai pasar Saratok diatu, kitai ulih meda 3 iti tempat ti dipasang ”Giant Poster” (Bill Board), ti diempu ulih Calon PKR En. Ali Biju. Tang maioh orang enda lantang ati meda utai ti ngemesainya, lalu malam 10.4.2011, kami bisi nerima siti report madahka, bisi orang deka niki tiang ti kena ngantung poster nya lalu deka encharikka sereta deka menconteng poster nya. Kebuah ia dipelabaka aku, laban 11.4.2011 Najib bisi nemuai ngagai Saratok .
Penyokong BN enggai ngasoh Najib meda poster nya enggai ka ia malu. Belabuh ari sari nya Calon PKR terpaksa ngaji orang nyaga poster nya tiap-tiap malam.
Dini endur adat enggau basa penyokong BN Krian ?????
Nyentuk ka saritu, kami nadai kala mantah ulah bala penyokong BN, laban kami agi bebasa ka pangan diri. Tang kami arap ka sida (BN) ulih ngubah runding sida ti enda manah ngagai kami.
Nya aja, arap ka nuan ulih mansut ka ceritatu.
Enti agi bisi cerita ila, kumeri ngagai nuan baru.
Thanks.
Bungan Ekie
Setiausaha PKR Cabang Saratok
Cerita keterubah ianya, lebuh maia udah ngantung nama, dia deh siko ari YB ari Selangor ianya Dr. Xavier Jayakumar lalu ngambat kami ti udah nganjung En. Ali Biju ti udah ngantung nama ba Dewan Perpustakaan di Saratok.
Lebuhmaia YB Dr. tu datai ba mua pagar, enda mukai – mukai Calon BN Peter Nyaruk mansa ia lalu nyebut jako ti pemadu ia ka jai ngagai Dr. Xavier, ianya '...... I will cop off your head......'.
Reti nya ia deka mumpung pala Dr. Xavier enggau bala ia ti datai ari Semenanjung. Ia Nyaruk) madah ka sida ari Semenanjung sengaja datai ke Sarawak laban ti deka ngacau sereta ngasut rakyat di N 34 Krian.
Ti nitih ka adapt demokrasi di serata dunya, kitai enda tau meri jako ti kelalu jai bakanya. Kami kempen ari PKR, nadai sekali-kali kami bejai ka Calon BN, kami nadai kala meri 'personal attack’ ngagai ia, tang Nyaruk selalu mengancam kami ditu kelebih lebih agi orang ti kereja perintah enggau orang ti udah pencen.
Ia selalu nganu tuai raban bansa (Tuai Rumah), enti sida enda ngundi BN, sida ia deka dibuai nyadi tuai!
Nyentuk ka diatu, maioh amat bala tuai-tuai rumah di kawasan N. 34 Krian takut ketegal jako ianya, lalu enggai meda kami ti kempen ari PKR enggai parti pembangkang ti bukai.
Siti cunto ulah sida BN ti enda manah ianya, lebuh maia sida BN kempen di Rh. Buchai Kedoh, Roban, dia deh siko ari Ketua Wanita SPDP ti benama, Dios anak Kusam, lalu ngeruntun sereta encharik ka poster calon PKR lalu diindik ia. Bala penyokong PKR maioh amat enda puas ati ketegal pengawa sida ia. Aku agi besabar, ti nitih ka gaya, aku tau ngaga polis report, tang aku enda ngaga report laban ti agi ngenang diri sama diri ti deka begulai sejalai, lebih-lebih agi orang ti nyukung BN sama-sama orang kami ditu. Kami bebasa ke sida, tang sida enda bebasa ka kami!
Cunto kedua, ia nya enti kitai mansang ngagai pasar Saratok diatu, kitai ulih meda 3 iti tempat ti dipasang ”Giant Poster” (Bill Board), ti diempu ulih Calon PKR En. Ali Biju. Tang maioh orang enda lantang ati meda utai ti ngemesainya, lalu malam 10.4.2011, kami bisi nerima siti report madahka, bisi orang deka niki tiang ti kena ngantung poster nya lalu deka encharikka sereta deka menconteng poster nya. Kebuah ia dipelabaka aku, laban 11.4.2011 Najib bisi nemuai ngagai Saratok .
Penyokong BN enggai ngasoh Najib meda poster nya enggai ka ia malu. Belabuh ari sari nya Calon PKR terpaksa ngaji orang nyaga poster nya tiap-tiap malam.
Dini endur adat enggau basa penyokong BN Krian ?????
Nyentuk ka saritu, kami nadai kala mantah ulah bala penyokong BN, laban kami agi bebasa ka pangan diri. Tang kami arap ka sida (BN) ulih ngubah runding sida ti enda manah ngagai kami.
Nya aja, arap ka nuan ulih mansut ka ceritatu.
Enti agi bisi cerita ila, kumeri ngagai nuan baru.
Thanks.
Bungan Ekie
Setiausaha PKR Cabang Saratok
Sarawakians, seize the moment!
In a clarion call, Martin Jalleh urges Sarawakians to save their state. By their self-determination, Sarawakians should show BN leaders and their political representatives that they cannot be bought over or bullied.
Sarawakians, you stand at the threshold of a great deciding and defining moment of change. You can either decisively help shape the future of your state or let it slide and sink like a tragic struggling shipwreck.
Sarawakians, may you be steadfast in this challenging hour! Sadly, after three decades, you are one of the poorest “richest” States in Bolehland and many in the land of the Hornbill are languishing in poverty
“Sack” those who for the past 30 years have betrayed Sarawak by bleeding the state dry, siphoning and stashing their ill-gotten gains overseas and building a scandalous empire there.
Stop the scoundrels and self-serving sycophants who suck up to the powers-that-be to satisfy their insatiable greed, whilst marginalized indigenous Sarawakians suffer indescribably and struggle to eke out a living!
Ship out those who have repeatedly and rampantly robbed her people of their rights, ransacked the state’s coffers, ravished her natural resources and remained silent as the children of her natives are raped!
Stand firm against the local colonialist master who has through the last 30 years of larceny surreptitiously sequestered more than 1.5 million hectares of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land for his family members!
Send into political oblivion the spent white-haired chief (whose political shelf life has long expired) and other senior ministers of suspect character, soiled reputations, who readily sell their souls to remain in power.
Shame the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for its deafening silence over the mounting and meticulous evidence on corruption by the Sarawak state government as revealed in Sarawak Report.
Say “NO MORE!” to being sidelined and side-stepped by the Executive in Putrajaya and being treated like a stepchild. Say “NO MORE!” to being deceived, denied and deprived of what is rightfully yours.
Shout aloud “ENOUGH!” to being suckered, spat at and stepped on by the BN government and spineless Sarawak BN MPs who in Parliament have sacrificed your rights at the altar of political expediency!
Shun the short-term and sudden seductions of the “Santa Claus” PM whose political acumen has sunk so very low as seen in his vote buying and his desperate attempts to destroy his opponents with sex and slime.
Spurn the shallow, hollow bellow of the small-minded Deputy PM who never fails to spew out senseless speeches, silly scare tactics, sabre-rattling tricks and sinister theatrics.
Stomach no more the shocking, scandalous and shambolic state of affairs concerning education and health, which were ironically highlighted by the sudden and recent allocations made by the PM and DPM!
Send the PM and deputy PM who are bankrupt of ideas and who have come to bribe you with the rakyat’s money, back to Semenanjung without their “Fixed Deposit” – as Umno continues to be their “Fixed Deficit!!
Stir and summon the indomitable spirit of people power to take on the insurmountable odds and to overcome the BN’s offering of blood sacrifices and invoking of evil spirits to cast spells and curses on the opposition.
Save your state, Sarawakians! By your self-determination, show the shameless leaders of the BN and their supercilious political representatives that you cannot to be bought over or bullied!
Sarawakians, by your solidarity, save the country! Strike at the very roots that have caused Bolehland to degenerate into a “sick country” and a “sham democracy” (Tengku Razaleigh)! Reject BN at the elections!
Sarawakians, you stand at the threshold of a great deciding and defining moment of change. You can either decisively help shape the future of your state or let it slide and sink like a tragic struggling shipwreck.
Sarawakians, may you be steadfast in this challenging hour! Sadly, after three decades, you are one of the poorest “richest” States in Bolehland and many in the land of the Hornbill are languishing in poverty
“Sack” those who for the past 30 years have betrayed Sarawak by bleeding the state dry, siphoning and stashing their ill-gotten gains overseas and building a scandalous empire there.
Stop the scoundrels and self-serving sycophants who suck up to the powers-that-be to satisfy their insatiable greed, whilst marginalized indigenous Sarawakians suffer indescribably and struggle to eke out a living!
Ship out those who have repeatedly and rampantly robbed her people of their rights, ransacked the state’s coffers, ravished her natural resources and remained silent as the children of her natives are raped!
Stand firm against the local colonialist master who has through the last 30 years of larceny surreptitiously sequestered more than 1.5 million hectares of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land for his family members!
Send into political oblivion the spent white-haired chief (whose political shelf life has long expired) and other senior ministers of suspect character, soiled reputations, who readily sell their souls to remain in power.
Shame the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for its deafening silence over the mounting and meticulous evidence on corruption by the Sarawak state government as revealed in Sarawak Report.
Say “NO MORE!” to being sidelined and side-stepped by the Executive in Putrajaya and being treated like a stepchild. Say “NO MORE!” to being deceived, denied and deprived of what is rightfully yours.
Shout aloud “ENOUGH!” to being suckered, spat at and stepped on by the BN government and spineless Sarawak BN MPs who in Parliament have sacrificed your rights at the altar of political expediency!
Shun the short-term and sudden seductions of the “Santa Claus” PM whose political acumen has sunk so very low as seen in his vote buying and his desperate attempts to destroy his opponents with sex and slime.
Spurn the shallow, hollow bellow of the small-minded Deputy PM who never fails to spew out senseless speeches, silly scare tactics, sabre-rattling tricks and sinister theatrics.
Stomach no more the shocking, scandalous and shambolic state of affairs concerning education and health, which were ironically highlighted by the sudden and recent allocations made by the PM and DPM!
Send the PM and deputy PM who are bankrupt of ideas and who have come to bribe you with the rakyat’s money, back to Semenanjung without their “Fixed Deposit” – as Umno continues to be their “Fixed Deficit!!
Stir and summon the indomitable spirit of people power to take on the insurmountable odds and to overcome the BN’s offering of blood sacrifices and invoking of evil spirits to cast spells and curses on the opposition.
Save your state, Sarawakians! By your self-determination, show the shameless leaders of the BN and their supercilious political representatives that you cannot to be bought over or bullied!
Sarawakians, by your solidarity, save the country! Strike at the very roots that have caused Bolehland to degenerate into a “sick country” and a “sham democracy” (Tengku Razaleigh)! Reject BN at the elections!
Tuesday, April 12
RM1 Billion Annual Allocation For The Dayak Endowment Fund
11 April 2011
KUCHING: Penang chief Minister Lim Guan Eng called on the state government to stop then exploitation and oppression of the Dayak community.
“For too long they have been taken advantage of by a government that has robbed them of their rights and left them with nothing.
“The exploitation and oppression of the Dayak community must end,” he said in a statement before returning to Penang.
Lim who is also DAP Secretary General has been in the State to help campaign for the Pakatan Rakyat candidates.
“Now, with polling day for the Sarawak Election being less than a week away, it is opportune for the Dayak community to rise up to challenge the corrupt Barisan Nasional government.
“The state of Sarawak belongs to the people of Sarawak and Pakatan Rakyat vows to return the riches of the land to the people.
“We will provide an annual RM1 billion allocation to establish the Dayak Endowment Fund, in order to provide much-needed infrastructure and basic amenities like roads, water and electricity to the Dayak and other communities.
“They must enjoy direct access wherever they may be in Sarawak so that they can have a higher quality of life and bring them back to the economic mainstream.
“It is ridiculous that roads leading to the interior such as from Kuching to Sri Aman or Sibu to Bintangor and Sarikei are so badly built. When we travel by car, we feel we are travelling by sampan on a river with all the swaying back and forth and swinging from left to right throughout our journey.
“In this modern day and age it is totally unacceptable that there is no electricity and yet the Federal or state government can give computers as an empty show and pretence that they care,” he said.
Lim said: “This Dayak Endowment Fund is on top of the RM1 billion Poverty Eradication Fund aimed at eradicating hardcore poverty in the state.
“The Dayaks are other native groups, who make up the largest percentage of the population of Sarawak, are unfortunately also among the poorest,” he said, pointing out that Sarawak is a rich state, if not the richest in Malaysia in terms of natural resources.
“Therefore, to fund the two programmes, Pakatan Rakyat will demand that Sarawak receives 20% oil royalty instead of the 5% it currently receives from the Federal Government.
“Even without the increase in royalties to 20%, the Sarawak state government can afford this RM1 billion annual allocation for the Dayak Endowment Fund by cutting down on corruption.
“The land of Sarawak belongs to the people of Sarawak, and therefore only ordinary Sarawakians should be allowed to acquire them.
“Currently, political and public positions are abused in order to gain valuable land across the state while ordinary Sarawakians find it difficult to obtain land.
“In a Pakatan Rakyat Government as practiced in Penang, anyone holding elected posts or appointed public posts such as local councillors will be barred from applying for land. This is to prevent abuse of power by those entrusted to protect the people’s rights. In other words, land will only be given to ordinary Sarawakians,” he said.
He said that Sarawak is a land that has everything, yet the vast majority of its people have nothing.
“Therefore, we call upon all Sarawakians, especially the Dayak community which has long been marginalised, to stand up and claim what is rightfully theirs.
“The plentiful resources of Sarawak must be returned to its rightful owners, the people of Sarawak,” he added.
KUCHING: Penang chief Minister Lim Guan Eng called on the state government to stop then exploitation and oppression of the Dayak community.
“For too long they have been taken advantage of by a government that has robbed them of their rights and left them with nothing.
“The exploitation and oppression of the Dayak community must end,” he said in a statement before returning to Penang.
Lim who is also DAP Secretary General has been in the State to help campaign for the Pakatan Rakyat candidates.
“Now, with polling day for the Sarawak Election being less than a week away, it is opportune for the Dayak community to rise up to challenge the corrupt Barisan Nasional government.
“The state of Sarawak belongs to the people of Sarawak and Pakatan Rakyat vows to return the riches of the land to the people.
“We will provide an annual RM1 billion allocation to establish the Dayak Endowment Fund, in order to provide much-needed infrastructure and basic amenities like roads, water and electricity to the Dayak and other communities.
“They must enjoy direct access wherever they may be in Sarawak so that they can have a higher quality of life and bring them back to the economic mainstream.
“It is ridiculous that roads leading to the interior such as from Kuching to Sri Aman or Sibu to Bintangor and Sarikei are so badly built. When we travel by car, we feel we are travelling by sampan on a river with all the swaying back and forth and swinging from left to right throughout our journey.
“In this modern day and age it is totally unacceptable that there is no electricity and yet the Federal or state government can give computers as an empty show and pretence that they care,” he said.
Lim said: “This Dayak Endowment Fund is on top of the RM1 billion Poverty Eradication Fund aimed at eradicating hardcore poverty in the state.
“The Dayaks are other native groups, who make up the largest percentage of the population of Sarawak, are unfortunately also among the poorest,” he said, pointing out that Sarawak is a rich state, if not the richest in Malaysia in terms of natural resources.
“Therefore, to fund the two programmes, Pakatan Rakyat will demand that Sarawak receives 20% oil royalty instead of the 5% it currently receives from the Federal Government.
“Even without the increase in royalties to 20%, the Sarawak state government can afford this RM1 billion annual allocation for the Dayak Endowment Fund by cutting down on corruption.
“The land of Sarawak belongs to the people of Sarawak, and therefore only ordinary Sarawakians should be allowed to acquire them.
“Currently, political and public positions are abused in order to gain valuable land across the state while ordinary Sarawakians find it difficult to obtain land.
“In a Pakatan Rakyat Government as practiced in Penang, anyone holding elected posts or appointed public posts such as local councillors will be barred from applying for land. This is to prevent abuse of power by those entrusted to protect the people’s rights. In other words, land will only be given to ordinary Sarawakians,” he said.
He said that Sarawak is a land that has everything, yet the vast majority of its people have nothing.
“Therefore, we call upon all Sarawakians, especially the Dayak community which has long been marginalised, to stand up and claim what is rightfully theirs.
“The plentiful resources of Sarawak must be returned to its rightful owners, the people of Sarawak,” he added.
Monday, April 11
SNAP candidates should withdraw
KUCHING:Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian has called on Sarawak National Party (SNAP) candidates to withdraw from contesting and to throw their support to candidates of the Pakatan Rakyat if they find their campaigns are not making any headway.
“I heard many of them are not making any headway due to limited resources or due to lack of support from the voters.
“If this is the case, I advise them to withdraw and throw their support to Pakatan Rakyat candidates.
“After all our aim is to topple this government and bring change to Sarawak,” Bian said in a telephone interview with FMT.
“The Barisan Nasional state government is our enemy and we should pool all our resources to defeat them,” he said.
He added: “If there is a one-to-one fight against BN candidates especially in the Dayak majority constituencies, there is likelihood that we can defeat the BN candidates.
“Therefore, I earnestly beg SNAP candidates to reconsider my appeal,” he said.
SNAP is contesting on 27 Dayak majority seats following failed negotiations between itself and PKR, and in almost all these constituencies SNAP and PKR are facing each other apart from contesting against BN, independent and Parti Cinta Malaysia candidates.
It is reported that SNAP’s chances are almost next to zero.
On his own campaign, Bian said that he has been going around villages near the town. Starting from tomorrow, he will proceed to the interiors.
“On the whole, my campaign is going smoothly,” he said.
Bian declined to comment on his chance, except to say that he and his campaigners are working very hard to win over the hearts and minds of the voters.
There are more than 6,000 voters.
Meanwhile, reports from PKR candidates in rural constituencies are picking up momentum as the campaign enters its fourth day.
The reports say that campaigns for Ibi Anak Uding in Balai Ringin, Willie Mogin in Bengoh, John Tenewi Nuek in Tasik Biru, Brudi Anak Mawong (Engkilili), Nicholas Bawin (Batang Ai), Ali Biju (Krian), Stanny Embat (Layar), Mengga Mikui (Tamin), Dr. John Brian (Meluan) and Harrison Ngau (Telang Usan) are fast picking up.
“Most of the issues are centred on the grabbing of native customary rights lands, lack of development and failed promises.
“Given the momentum, you can expect a number of surprises in these constituencies,” said Langga Lias, a PKR worker in Batang Ai.
“I heard many of them are not making any headway due to limited resources or due to lack of support from the voters.
“If this is the case, I advise them to withdraw and throw their support to Pakatan Rakyat candidates.
“After all our aim is to topple this government and bring change to Sarawak,” Bian said in a telephone interview with FMT.
“The Barisan Nasional state government is our enemy and we should pool all our resources to defeat them,” he said.
He added: “If there is a one-to-one fight against BN candidates especially in the Dayak majority constituencies, there is likelihood that we can defeat the BN candidates.
“Therefore, I earnestly beg SNAP candidates to reconsider my appeal,” he said.
SNAP is contesting on 27 Dayak majority seats following failed negotiations between itself and PKR, and in almost all these constituencies SNAP and PKR are facing each other apart from contesting against BN, independent and Parti Cinta Malaysia candidates.
It is reported that SNAP’s chances are almost next to zero.
On his own campaign, Bian said that he has been going around villages near the town. Starting from tomorrow, he will proceed to the interiors.
“On the whole, my campaign is going smoothly,” he said.
Bian declined to comment on his chance, except to say that he and his campaigners are working very hard to win over the hearts and minds of the voters.
There are more than 6,000 voters.
Meanwhile, reports from PKR candidates in rural constituencies are picking up momentum as the campaign enters its fourth day.
The reports say that campaigns for Ibi Anak Uding in Balai Ringin, Willie Mogin in Bengoh, John Tenewi Nuek in Tasik Biru, Brudi Anak Mawong (Engkilili), Nicholas Bawin (Batang Ai), Ali Biju (Krian), Stanny Embat (Layar), Mengga Mikui (Tamin), Dr. John Brian (Meluan) and Harrison Ngau (Telang Usan) are fast picking up.
“Most of the issues are centred on the grabbing of native customary rights lands, lack of development and failed promises.
“Given the momentum, you can expect a number of surprises in these constituencies,” said Langga Lias, a PKR worker in Batang Ai.
Saturday, April 9
Court awards villagers RM67m
April 9, 2011
By Priscilla Watson
(The story appears in Free Malaysia Today)
BINTULU: Some 640 villagers from Kuala Nyalau and Ulu Nyalau here were awarded RM66.75 million by the Bintulu High Court, bringing to an end a 13-year-long legal battle between them and the state government.
Deputy Registrar of the Miri High Court, Musyiri Peet, arrived yesterday in Bintulu to deliver the ruling in the High Court here.
He also ordered the state government to pay RM200,000 cost and imposed an 8% interest rate per annum effective from 1998 until 2011.
Musyiri, in assessing the damages before awarding the amount to the villagers, said he had taken into consideration various factors like not all teak trees were growing well and that they were not matured yet for harvesting. A legal officer from state attorney-general’s office was also present when the judgment was read out.
Villagers Amit Salleh, BakDrahman, Sapuan Abdullah and Chapon anak Banyai, on behalf of 636 other villagers, had sued the superindent of the Land and Survey Department, Bintulu, the Minister of Planning and Resource Management and the state government of Sarawak for seizing their land.
In their statement of claim, the villagers claimed the government had expropriated 3,022 acres of native customary rights (NCR) land in 1998 for the purpose of constructing an aluminum smelter plant.
The villagers said they were given an alternative site located in Tanjong Panyung, which was swampy and unsuitable for planting.
The villagers were seeking damages of RM101,932,180 being the loss of profit and income purportedly derived from the 713,390 teak trees and 3,000 plus sendang trees which they had planted on the site prior to the seizure by the state.
They won the case in the Bintulu High Court presided by Justice Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the government had appealed the matter before the Appellate Court.
The Appellate Court, however, upheld the High Court’s ruling.
Still disgruntled, the government further appealed the case before Federal Court, but the judgment remained at status quo.
By Priscilla Watson
(The story appears in Free Malaysia Today)
BINTULU: Some 640 villagers from Kuala Nyalau and Ulu Nyalau here were awarded RM66.75 million by the Bintulu High Court, bringing to an end a 13-year-long legal battle between them and the state government.
Deputy Registrar of the Miri High Court, Musyiri Peet, arrived yesterday in Bintulu to deliver the ruling in the High Court here.
He also ordered the state government to pay RM200,000 cost and imposed an 8% interest rate per annum effective from 1998 until 2011.
Musyiri, in assessing the damages before awarding the amount to the villagers, said he had taken into consideration various factors like not all teak trees were growing well and that they were not matured yet for harvesting. A legal officer from state attorney-general’s office was also present when the judgment was read out.
Villagers Amit Salleh, BakDrahman, Sapuan Abdullah and Chapon anak Banyai, on behalf of 636 other villagers, had sued the superindent of the Land and Survey Department, Bintulu, the Minister of Planning and Resource Management and the state government of Sarawak for seizing their land.
In their statement of claim, the villagers claimed the government had expropriated 3,022 acres of native customary rights (NCR) land in 1998 for the purpose of constructing an aluminum smelter plant.
The villagers said they were given an alternative site located in Tanjong Panyung, which was swampy and unsuitable for planting.
The villagers were seeking damages of RM101,932,180 being the loss of profit and income purportedly derived from the 713,390 teak trees and 3,000 plus sendang trees which they had planted on the site prior to the seizure by the state.
They won the case in the Bintulu High Court presided by Justice Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the government had appealed the matter before the Appellate Court.
The Appellate Court, however, upheld the High Court’s ruling.
Still disgruntled, the government further appealed the case before Federal Court, but the judgment remained at status quo.
POLISI PEMANSANG TANAH (NCR) BN
Nitih ka polisi pemansang tanah hak adat Bumiputra BN, tanah bala Bumiputra, lebih agi bala Iban, diserah ngagai syarikat ti bebesai, dikena nanam utai.
Taja dalam keretas bala Iban agi ngempu tanah sida, tang ia ti bendar, bala sida udah nyerah ka semua hak enggau semua tanah sida nya ngagai syarikat ti nanam utai baka sawit ba tanah sida nya.
Bala Iban ti nyerah ka tanah nadai hak nentu ka gaji sida iya lalu mega nadai nentu ka dividend ti patut dibagi ngagai sida iya tiap taun.
Hak sida ngena tanah sida nya lalu lenyau. Syarikat ti nanam kelapa sawit nya lalu nguasa semua utai.
Gaji ti diberi syarikat nya tekelalu mit sampai ka bala ti empu tanah nya tepaksa ninggal ka rumah tanah sida lalu ngiga kerja ka bukai.
Di Johor aja bisi 40,000 bala Iban bekuli. Kena 13 Mei 2009, Menteri Pemansang Tanah madah ka bisi 823 bala Iban ti ngempu NCR sida bekereja ba tanah ti udah diserah ngagai syarikat ti nanam kelapa sawit.
Tang iya mega madah 1,215 iku orang asing bekereja dalam ladang ti patut nguntungka orang ti empu tanah.
Belabuh ari taun 2006 ngagai taun 2009, kira 1,000,000 ekar tanah hak adat Bumiputra Iban udah dikena ngaga lading nitih ka skim pemansang tanah BN tu.
Syarikat nanam sawit udah mayar RM2,301,116.86 ngagai bala orang ti empu tanah. Retinya orang ti empu tanah semina udah diberi RM2.39 sekar tiap taun dalam masa 13 taun tu ti udah. Enti dikira ngena taun, sida semina diberi 18 sen satu ekar dalam satu taun.
Tu nunjuk ka bala Iban udah ditipu teruk agi ari orang ti nipu ulun.
POLISI DAP BA TANAH (NCR) BAKA TU:
Perintah Pakatan Rakyat deka nyukat sereta meri pala tanah ngagai semua tanah NCR.
Perintah Pakatan Rakyat deka meri enggau pechuma semua benih, baja enggau rachun dikena bala Iban enggau Bumiputra bukai betanam ka sawit tauka utai bukai ba tanah sida empu.
Semua untung ari utai ti ditanam bala Bumiputra di tanah sida empu sida aja.
Perintah Pakatan Rakyat enda minta satu sen pulai.
Dalam polisi DAP/Pakatan Rakyat, mayuh orang ti bisi anah deka nyadi kaya.
Sida bisi kuasa penuh atas tanah sida enggau utai ti ditanam sida. Tang ti lebih nyenang ka ati kitai, bala orang muda kitai ti bekereja di menua orang ulih pulai ka Sarawak lalu nyadi orang kaya di menua diri ditu.
Taja dalam keretas bala Iban agi ngempu tanah sida, tang ia ti bendar, bala sida udah nyerah ka semua hak enggau semua tanah sida nya ngagai syarikat ti nanam utai baka sawit ba tanah sida nya.
Bala Iban ti nyerah ka tanah nadai hak nentu ka gaji sida iya lalu mega nadai nentu ka dividend ti patut dibagi ngagai sida iya tiap taun.
Hak sida ngena tanah sida nya lalu lenyau. Syarikat ti nanam kelapa sawit nya lalu nguasa semua utai.
Gaji ti diberi syarikat nya tekelalu mit sampai ka bala ti empu tanah nya tepaksa ninggal ka rumah tanah sida lalu ngiga kerja ka bukai.
Di Johor aja bisi 40,000 bala Iban bekuli. Kena 13 Mei 2009, Menteri Pemansang Tanah madah ka bisi 823 bala Iban ti ngempu NCR sida bekereja ba tanah ti udah diserah ngagai syarikat ti nanam kelapa sawit.
Tang iya mega madah 1,215 iku orang asing bekereja dalam ladang ti patut nguntungka orang ti empu tanah.
Belabuh ari taun 2006 ngagai taun 2009, kira 1,000,000 ekar tanah hak adat Bumiputra Iban udah dikena ngaga lading nitih ka skim pemansang tanah BN tu.
Syarikat nanam sawit udah mayar RM2,301,116.86 ngagai bala orang ti empu tanah. Retinya orang ti empu tanah semina udah diberi RM2.39 sekar tiap taun dalam masa 13 taun tu ti udah. Enti dikira ngena taun, sida semina diberi 18 sen satu ekar dalam satu taun.
Tu nunjuk ka bala Iban udah ditipu teruk agi ari orang ti nipu ulun.
POLISI DAP BA TANAH (NCR) BAKA TU:
Perintah Pakatan Rakyat deka nyukat sereta meri pala tanah ngagai semua tanah NCR.
Perintah Pakatan Rakyat deka meri enggau pechuma semua benih, baja enggau rachun dikena bala Iban enggau Bumiputra bukai betanam ka sawit tauka utai bukai ba tanah sida empu.
Semua untung ari utai ti ditanam bala Bumiputra di tanah sida empu sida aja.
Perintah Pakatan Rakyat enda minta satu sen pulai.
Dalam polisi DAP/Pakatan Rakyat, mayuh orang ti bisi anah deka nyadi kaya.
Sida bisi kuasa penuh atas tanah sida enggau utai ti ditanam sida. Tang ti lebih nyenang ka ati kitai, bala orang muda kitai ti bekereja di menua orang ulih pulai ka Sarawak lalu nyadi orang kaya di menua diri ditu.
Letter to YB Mong Dagang & YB Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah
YB Mong Dagang,
YB Datuk Seri Douglas Unggah,
Subject: St.Paul`s School, Banting
----------------------------------
I wish to draw your attention as reported in the local newspapers recently that on 5th April, 2011 in Kuching,Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin presented RM6.35 million for financial assistance to 127 mission schools throughout Sarawak. It means each mission school in Sarawak has been given in initial allocation of RM50,000.00 under the patronage of a committee comprising ministers in Sarawak.
As you are aware that St. Paul`s school, Banting and teachers` quarters are in a state of dilapidation and in need serious repairs, thus we the villagers in Banting urge the school share of RM50,000.00 is to be untilized for this purpose and not to be diverted elsewhere.
We will monitor the development and may take necessary action deemed fit if the fund is misappropriated for other use.
Yours faithfully,
Sri Belalang,
Batu Tembang, Banting.
YB Datuk Seri Douglas Unggah,
Subject: St.Paul`s School, Banting
----------------------------------
I wish to draw your attention as reported in the local newspapers recently that on 5th April, 2011 in Kuching,Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin presented RM6.35 million for financial assistance to 127 mission schools throughout Sarawak. It means each mission school in Sarawak has been given in initial allocation of RM50,000.00 under the patronage of a committee comprising ministers in Sarawak.
As you are aware that St. Paul`s school, Banting and teachers` quarters are in a state of dilapidation and in need serious repairs, thus we the villagers in Banting urge the school share of RM50,000.00 is to be untilized for this purpose and not to be diverted elsewhere.
We will monitor the development and may take necessary action deemed fit if the fund is misappropriated for other use.
Yours faithfully,
Sri Belalang,
Batu Tembang, Banting.
Thursday, April 7
Why Lihan Jok did not want to contest!
KUCHING: Isn’t it rather unusual for an elected representative to decline defending his seat for the third time, if he is from Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), the party that is the backbone of the state Barisan Nasional government?
Unusual, because there are others in the party who have served five terms or even six terms, and yet they demand to be re-nominated; sometimes, they ask their supporters to demonstrate urging the Party President to consider nominating their “wakil Rakyat” to defend their seats.
For them, they believe there are bigger economic pies, more opportunities to be rich and wealthy and the likelihood to be appointed to government posts of prominence.
But for Lihan Jok, he seemingly does not want all these. Instead he wrote to the Chief Minister and President of the party Abdul Taib Mahmud requesting to be dropped from the list of candidates for the coming state election.
After the last election, Lihan’s fortunes seemed to rise especially after he secured the Telang Usan seat for the second consecutive time with a bigger majority of 2771 votes. In 2001 his majority was 1,029 votes. Certainly, in the coming election, Lihan is still a winnable candidate.
But why does he decline to defend the seat?
According to Harrison Ngau, a lawyer and activist, Lihan is scared of his own shadow that has been haunting him since the state government announced to build two dams – one in Tutoh and the other at Long Keseh, Baram River.
In a meeting with the people in September 2010, Lihan described the Baram dam as the “gift of God” and the people should not only be thankful to God, but also to the State Barisan Nasional government which is proposing to build the dam.
“I am not ashamed to say that the mega project is a gift of God because as a result of the project the government will build a 60 km road from Long Lama to Long Keseh, benefitting about 12,000 Kayans from nine longhouses along the river,” he said.
The proposed road to link all the longhouses along the Baram River before the dam was ever conceptualized, more a wish for a better life for the people.
“What I am saying is that if there is no Baram dam, there won’t be any road being built. It does not make economic sense just building a road like that. The proposed dam justifies the building of the RM500 million road,” he said.
Lihan’s remarks drew sharp rebuke from educated Kayans and Kenyahs, many of them were his former students.
One former student asked him if he has the brains of a monkey by saying that dam is the gift of God.
Another former student said: “We don’t want that dam. It is not a gift from God, but it is a curse from hell, and we ask him not to lie to the Kayan people. Does this ‘bloody idiot’ hope to get a timber licence or what?”
Another Kayan intellectual said: “Perhaps Lihan thinks Taib (Chief Minister) is God. This road is only marginally beneficial to the ordinary rakyat and will benefit timber robber barons.
The dam, which we don’t need and which the people will also have to pay for, is only an excuse for Taib, his family and cronies to clean sweep all the remaining timber in the area. Then they will take the remaining land for oil palm plantations.”
A Kayan himself, Lihan and the 12,000 Kayans whose longhouses are below the Baram dam may be happy with the “gift of God”, but if you look into a bigger picture, as Burak S. Sam, an Orang Ulu leader sees it, the dam will present a completely different scenario.
“Once the dam is built, more than 10 longhouses comprising more than 10,000 Kayans, Penans and mostly Kenyahs and their farms, crops, fruit trees, century-old graves, livestock will vanish under a big lake which will reach Lio Mato, the furthest Kenyah longhouse in the Baram River.
“Schools, churches, chapels, clinics and places of historical significance to the Orang Ulu community will also be wiped out. The heritage of their forefathers and the pride of the community like Temenggong Oyong Lawai Jau (one of the founding fathers of Malaysian), Penghulu Tama Bulan Lian, Penghulu Jok Ngau, Penghulu Kebing, and Penghulu Nyipa will just remain as fairy tales for our posterities.
“The resulting destruction and annihilation brought about by the flood from the dam is irrevocable and massive. So is this the fate that the so-called God-given dam will bring about?” asked Sam.
With the proposed dam, there are no longer talks of perimeter survey of their native customary rights (NCR) land and all issues of minor rural development projects will no longer be relevant.
The proposed 1000MW dam which is to cost more than RM1 billion is expected to submerge more than half of the Orang Ulu “land”.
Memorandums after memorandums have been submitted to the government expressing the people’s fears and urge the government not to proceed with the Baram dam.
The natives even ask for reports of the studies such as environmental assessment impact, social impact assessment, and other studies to be discussed openly and debated, before the construction of dam begins. But the government refuses to oblige.
A signature campaign to oppose the construction of the dam is being conducted among the Kayan, Kenyah and Penan communities. Their target is to collect at least 20,000 signatures.
The signatures campaign will form part of a memorandum to be submitted to the Federal Government, state government, Suhakam and to the United Nations on human rights.
“Hopefully, this memorandum will exert great pressure on the state government,” said one of the organisers.
Apart from the Baram dam issue, Lihan Jok also faces problems on native customary rights (NCR) land that is being licensed out allegedly by his boss Taib.
Huge NCR land areas in Sungai Tutoh and Sungai Apoh have been licensed to Pusaka KTS Forest Plantation Sdn Bhd.
“He cannot question or ask Taib to cancel all these, even though at the same time the Telang Usan people want Lihan as their elected rep to speak out for them.
“Lihan realises that Telang Usan people are very unhappy with the present perimeter survey of NCR land there which fails to follow their ‘garis menua’ or ‘antara’ (boundaries),” said Harrison.
“With all these problems confronting him and thousands of native people are against the dam, do you think Lihan wants to defend the seat?” asked Harrison, who is a potential candidate for Telang Usan.
Telang Usan used to be the stronghold Sarawak National Party from 1963 until 1987 when its elected rep the late Joseph Balan Seling leap-frogged to PBB.
Ever since then, it has become the stronghold of PBB.
Unusual, because there are others in the party who have served five terms or even six terms, and yet they demand to be re-nominated; sometimes, they ask their supporters to demonstrate urging the Party President to consider nominating their “wakil Rakyat” to defend their seats.
For them, they believe there are bigger economic pies, more opportunities to be rich and wealthy and the likelihood to be appointed to government posts of prominence.
But for Lihan Jok, he seemingly does not want all these. Instead he wrote to the Chief Minister and President of the party Abdul Taib Mahmud requesting to be dropped from the list of candidates for the coming state election.
After the last election, Lihan’s fortunes seemed to rise especially after he secured the Telang Usan seat for the second consecutive time with a bigger majority of 2771 votes. In 2001 his majority was 1,029 votes. Certainly, in the coming election, Lihan is still a winnable candidate.
But why does he decline to defend the seat?
According to Harrison Ngau, a lawyer and activist, Lihan is scared of his own shadow that has been haunting him since the state government announced to build two dams – one in Tutoh and the other at Long Keseh, Baram River.
In a meeting with the people in September 2010, Lihan described the Baram dam as the “gift of God” and the people should not only be thankful to God, but also to the State Barisan Nasional government which is proposing to build the dam.
“I am not ashamed to say that the mega project is a gift of God because as a result of the project the government will build a 60 km road from Long Lama to Long Keseh, benefitting about 12,000 Kayans from nine longhouses along the river,” he said.
The proposed road to link all the longhouses along the Baram River before the dam was ever conceptualized, more a wish for a better life for the people.
“What I am saying is that if there is no Baram dam, there won’t be any road being built. It does not make economic sense just building a road like that. The proposed dam justifies the building of the RM500 million road,” he said.
Lihan’s remarks drew sharp rebuke from educated Kayans and Kenyahs, many of them were his former students.
One former student asked him if he has the brains of a monkey by saying that dam is the gift of God.
Another former student said: “We don’t want that dam. It is not a gift from God, but it is a curse from hell, and we ask him not to lie to the Kayan people. Does this ‘bloody idiot’ hope to get a timber licence or what?”
Another Kayan intellectual said: “Perhaps Lihan thinks Taib (Chief Minister) is God. This road is only marginally beneficial to the ordinary rakyat and will benefit timber robber barons.
The dam, which we don’t need and which the people will also have to pay for, is only an excuse for Taib, his family and cronies to clean sweep all the remaining timber in the area. Then they will take the remaining land for oil palm plantations.”
A Kayan himself, Lihan and the 12,000 Kayans whose longhouses are below the Baram dam may be happy with the “gift of God”, but if you look into a bigger picture, as Burak S. Sam, an Orang Ulu leader sees it, the dam will present a completely different scenario.
“Once the dam is built, more than 10 longhouses comprising more than 10,000 Kayans, Penans and mostly Kenyahs and their farms, crops, fruit trees, century-old graves, livestock will vanish under a big lake which will reach Lio Mato, the furthest Kenyah longhouse in the Baram River.
“Schools, churches, chapels, clinics and places of historical significance to the Orang Ulu community will also be wiped out. The heritage of their forefathers and the pride of the community like Temenggong Oyong Lawai Jau (one of the founding fathers of Malaysian), Penghulu Tama Bulan Lian, Penghulu Jok Ngau, Penghulu Kebing, and Penghulu Nyipa will just remain as fairy tales for our posterities.
“The resulting destruction and annihilation brought about by the flood from the dam is irrevocable and massive. So is this the fate that the so-called God-given dam will bring about?” asked Sam.
With the proposed dam, there are no longer talks of perimeter survey of their native customary rights (NCR) land and all issues of minor rural development projects will no longer be relevant.
The proposed 1000MW dam which is to cost more than RM1 billion is expected to submerge more than half of the Orang Ulu “land”.
Memorandums after memorandums have been submitted to the government expressing the people’s fears and urge the government not to proceed with the Baram dam.
The natives even ask for reports of the studies such as environmental assessment impact, social impact assessment, and other studies to be discussed openly and debated, before the construction of dam begins. But the government refuses to oblige.
A signature campaign to oppose the construction of the dam is being conducted among the Kayan, Kenyah and Penan communities. Their target is to collect at least 20,000 signatures.
The signatures campaign will form part of a memorandum to be submitted to the Federal Government, state government, Suhakam and to the United Nations on human rights.
“Hopefully, this memorandum will exert great pressure on the state government,” said one of the organisers.
Apart from the Baram dam issue, Lihan Jok also faces problems on native customary rights (NCR) land that is being licensed out allegedly by his boss Taib.
Huge NCR land areas in Sungai Tutoh and Sungai Apoh have been licensed to Pusaka KTS Forest Plantation Sdn Bhd.
“He cannot question or ask Taib to cancel all these, even though at the same time the Telang Usan people want Lihan as their elected rep to speak out for them.
“Lihan realises that Telang Usan people are very unhappy with the present perimeter survey of NCR land there which fails to follow their ‘garis menua’ or ‘antara’ (boundaries),” said Harrison.
“With all these problems confronting him and thousands of native people are against the dam, do you think Lihan wants to defend the seat?” asked Harrison, who is a potential candidate for Telang Usan.
Telang Usan used to be the stronghold Sarawak National Party from 1963 until 1987 when its elected rep the late Joseph Balan Seling leap-frogged to PBB.
Ever since then, it has become the stronghold of PBB.
Tuesday, April 5
List of SNAP Candidates
Here are the 27 constituencies that SNAP will be contesting in:
1. Stephen Anak Sagir (N. 1 Opar)
2. Frankie Jurem Anak Nyombui (N. 2 Tasik Biru)
3. Richard @ Peter A/L Margaret (N. 16 Bengoh)
4. Ateng Anak Jeros (N. 17 Tarat)
5. Anthony Anak Nais (N. 18 Tebedu)
6. Belayong Anak Jayang (N. 19 Kedup)
7. Dan Giang (N. 25 Balai Ringgin)
8. Ivanhoe Anthony Anak Belon (N. 26 Bukit Begunan)
9. Semijie Anak Janting (N. 28 Engkilili)
10. Joe Anak Unggang (N. 31 Layar)
11. Dayrell Walter Entrie (N. 32 Bukit Saban)
12. Julin Anak Entamin (N. 33 Kalaka)
13. Liman Anak Sujang (N. 34 Krian)
14. Jamal Bin Abdullah @ Tedong Anak Gunda (N. 41 Pakan)
15. Labang Anak Jamba (N. 42 Meluan)
16. Augustine Anak Liom @ August Liom (N. 44 Machan)
17. Adang Anak Jirau (N. 53 Kakus)
18. Toh Heng San (N. 55 Katibas)
19. George Anak Lagong (N. 56 Baleh)
20. John Bampa (N. 57 Belaga)
21. Edwin Dundang Bugak (N. 66 Marudi)
22. Kebing Wan (N. 67 Telang Usan)
23. Lawrence Cosmas Sunang Anak Simpang (N. 69 Batu Danau)
24. Abang Othman Abang Hj Gom (N. 23 Lingga)
25. Ramli Malaka (N. 58 Jepak)
26. Thony Ak Badak (N. 61 Bekenu)
27. Johari Bujang (N. 62 Lambir)
1. Stephen Anak Sagir (N. 1 Opar)
2. Frankie Jurem Anak Nyombui (N. 2 Tasik Biru)
3. Richard @ Peter A/L Margaret (N. 16 Bengoh)
4. Ateng Anak Jeros (N. 17 Tarat)
5. Anthony Anak Nais (N. 18 Tebedu)
6. Belayong Anak Jayang (N. 19 Kedup)
7. Dan Giang (N. 25 Balai Ringgin)
8. Ivanhoe Anthony Anak Belon (N. 26 Bukit Begunan)
9. Semijie Anak Janting (N. 28 Engkilili)
10. Joe Anak Unggang (N. 31 Layar)
11. Dayrell Walter Entrie (N. 32 Bukit Saban)
12. Julin Anak Entamin (N. 33 Kalaka)
13. Liman Anak Sujang (N. 34 Krian)
14. Jamal Bin Abdullah @ Tedong Anak Gunda (N. 41 Pakan)
15. Labang Anak Jamba (N. 42 Meluan)
16. Augustine Anak Liom @ August Liom (N. 44 Machan)
17. Adang Anak Jirau (N. 53 Kakus)
18. Toh Heng San (N. 55 Katibas)
19. George Anak Lagong (N. 56 Baleh)
20. John Bampa (N. 57 Belaga)
21. Edwin Dundang Bugak (N. 66 Marudi)
22. Kebing Wan (N. 67 Telang Usan)
23. Lawrence Cosmas Sunang Anak Simpang (N. 69 Batu Danau)
24. Abang Othman Abang Hj Gom (N. 23 Lingga)
25. Ramli Malaka (N. 58 Jepak)
26. Thony Ak Badak (N. 61 Bekenu)
27. Johari Bujang (N. 62 Lambir)
Monday, April 4
PKR candidates for the 2011 election
4 April 2011
(The story is first published by Free Malaysia Today)
KUCHING: Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) today announced an assortment of professionals, businessmen and former high ranking civil servants as its candidates, which are described by PKR Deputy President Azmin Ali as the “best” candidates to fight the State Barisan Nasional.
Among the 47 candidates announced include medical doctors, PhD holders, lawyers, engineers, accountants, businessmen and former senior civil servants.
“With these candidates, we will spring major surprises in the coming election and we hope they will be able to save Sarawak and Sarawakians from serious and rampant corruption in the system of Sarawak government.
“I feel happy because these candidates proposed by the state leadership appear to be the candidates with integrity and credibility,” he said, pointing out that PKR will not put candidates in Pakan, Marudi and Jemoreng out of respect for the spirit of Pakatan Rakyat.
Asked on the position of Sarawak National Party, Azmin said: “In our last meeting SNAP is so persistent that it wants to contest in 27 majority constituencies, never giving us any space for negotiation.
“They also want PKR Iban candidates to contest using SNAP ticket. Surely this cannot be considered because PKR is a multiracial party, representing not only Melanau, Malays, Chinese, but also Bidayuhs,Ibans, Murut and Kadayans,” he said.
He said that both SNAP and PKR mutually agreed that the two parties have to base their candidates on the ‘winnability’ factors such as credibility of the candidates.
“On that score, I think PKR candidates are the best and the ones that can spring up surprises.
“However, we leave it to the people of Sarawak to make a decision on April 16,” he added.
The full list of PKR candidates:
N1 Opar – Boniface Willy Anak Tumek
N2 Tasik Biru – John Tenewi Nuek
N4 Pantai Damai – Wan Zainal Abidin Bin Wan Senusi
N5 Demak Laut – Ali Hossen Bin Abang
N6 Tupong – Baharuddin Mokhsen
N7 Samariang – Zulrusdi Bin Mohamad Dol
N8 Satok – Ahmad Nazib Bin Johari
N11 Batu Lintang – See Chee How
N14 Asajaya – Arip Bin Ameran
N16 Bengoh – Willie Anak Mongin
N17 Tarat – Peter Ato Anak Mayau
N18 Tebedu – Christopher Anak Kiyui
N19 Kedup – Lainus Anak Andrew Luwak
N21 Simunjan – Mashor Bin Hossen
N23 Lingga – Abg. Ahmad Arabi bin Abg Bolhassan
N25 Balai Ringin – Ibi Anak Udding
N26 Bukit Begunan – Jimmy Lim @ Jimmy Donald
N28 Engkilili – Marudi @ Barudi Anak Mawong
N29 Batang Air – Nicholas Bawin Anak Anggat
N30 Saribas – Abang Zulkifli Abang Engkeh
N31 Layar – Stanny Embat Pharoh Anak Laja
N32 Bukit Saban – Jerah Anak Engkiong @ Edward Jerah
N33 Kalaka – Mohd Yahya Bin Abdullah
N34 Krian – Ali Anak Biju
N35 Belawai – Abdul Wahab Bin Abdullah
N36 Semop – (to be announced later in Sibu)
N37 Daro – Jamaludin Bin Ibrahim
N42 Meluan – John Brian Anthony Anak Jeremy Guang
N43 Ngemah – Aris Anak Alap
N44 Machan – Chen Nguk Fa
N49 Nangka – Norisham Mohamed Ali
N50 Dalat – Sylvester Ajah Subah @ Ajah Bin Subah
N51 Balingian – Suriati Binti Abdullah
N52 Tamin – Mengga Anak Mikui
N53 Kakus – Paul Anyie Raja
N54 Pelagus – Edward Sumbang Anak Asun
N56 Baleh – Bendidang Anak Manjah
N57 Belaga – Basah Kesing @ Ali Basak Kesing
N58 Jepak – Abdul Jalil Bin Bujang
N60 Kemena – Benard Binar Bayang Anak Radding
N61 Bekenu – Ishak Bin Mahwi
N62 Lambir – Zolhadiah Binte Suboh
N65 Senadin – Michael Teo Yu Keng
N67 Telang Usan – Harrison Ngau Laing
N69 Batu Danau – Lau Liak Koi
N70 Ba’Kelalan – Baru Bian
N71 Bukit Sari – Japar Bin Suyut
(The story is first published by Free Malaysia Today)
KUCHING: Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) today announced an assortment of professionals, businessmen and former high ranking civil servants as its candidates, which are described by PKR Deputy President Azmin Ali as the “best” candidates to fight the State Barisan Nasional.
Among the 47 candidates announced include medical doctors, PhD holders, lawyers, engineers, accountants, businessmen and former senior civil servants.
“With these candidates, we will spring major surprises in the coming election and we hope they will be able to save Sarawak and Sarawakians from serious and rampant corruption in the system of Sarawak government.
“I feel happy because these candidates proposed by the state leadership appear to be the candidates with integrity and credibility,” he said, pointing out that PKR will not put candidates in Pakan, Marudi and Jemoreng out of respect for the spirit of Pakatan Rakyat.
Asked on the position of Sarawak National Party, Azmin said: “In our last meeting SNAP is so persistent that it wants to contest in 27 majority constituencies, never giving us any space for negotiation.
“They also want PKR Iban candidates to contest using SNAP ticket. Surely this cannot be considered because PKR is a multiracial party, representing not only Melanau, Malays, Chinese, but also Bidayuhs,Ibans, Murut and Kadayans,” he said.
He said that both SNAP and PKR mutually agreed that the two parties have to base their candidates on the ‘winnability’ factors such as credibility of the candidates.
“On that score, I think PKR candidates are the best and the ones that can spring up surprises.
“However, we leave it to the people of Sarawak to make a decision on April 16,” he added.
The full list of PKR candidates:
N1 Opar – Boniface Willy Anak Tumek
N2 Tasik Biru – John Tenewi Nuek
N4 Pantai Damai – Wan Zainal Abidin Bin Wan Senusi
N5 Demak Laut – Ali Hossen Bin Abang
N6 Tupong – Baharuddin Mokhsen
N7 Samariang – Zulrusdi Bin Mohamad Dol
N8 Satok – Ahmad Nazib Bin Johari
N11 Batu Lintang – See Chee How
N14 Asajaya – Arip Bin Ameran
N16 Bengoh – Willie Anak Mongin
N17 Tarat – Peter Ato Anak Mayau
N18 Tebedu – Christopher Anak Kiyui
N19 Kedup – Lainus Anak Andrew Luwak
N21 Simunjan – Mashor Bin Hossen
N23 Lingga – Abg. Ahmad Arabi bin Abg Bolhassan
N25 Balai Ringin – Ibi Anak Udding
N26 Bukit Begunan – Jimmy Lim @ Jimmy Donald
N28 Engkilili – Marudi @ Barudi Anak Mawong
N29 Batang Air – Nicholas Bawin Anak Anggat
N30 Saribas – Abang Zulkifli Abang Engkeh
N31 Layar – Stanny Embat Pharoh Anak Laja
N32 Bukit Saban – Jerah Anak Engkiong @ Edward Jerah
N33 Kalaka – Mohd Yahya Bin Abdullah
N34 Krian – Ali Anak Biju
N35 Belawai – Abdul Wahab Bin Abdullah
N36 Semop – (to be announced later in Sibu)
N37 Daro – Jamaludin Bin Ibrahim
N42 Meluan – John Brian Anthony Anak Jeremy Guang
N43 Ngemah – Aris Anak Alap
N44 Machan – Chen Nguk Fa
N49 Nangka – Norisham Mohamed Ali
N50 Dalat – Sylvester Ajah Subah @ Ajah Bin Subah
N51 Balingian – Suriati Binti Abdullah
N52 Tamin – Mengga Anak Mikui
N53 Kakus – Paul Anyie Raja
N54 Pelagus – Edward Sumbang Anak Asun
N56 Baleh – Bendidang Anak Manjah
N57 Belaga – Basah Kesing @ Ali Basak Kesing
N58 Jepak – Abdul Jalil Bin Bujang
N60 Kemena – Benard Binar Bayang Anak Radding
N61 Bekenu – Ishak Bin Mahwi
N62 Lambir – Zolhadiah Binte Suboh
N65 Senadin – Michael Teo Yu Keng
N67 Telang Usan – Harrison Ngau Laing
N69 Batu Danau – Lau Liak Koi
N70 Ba’Kelalan – Baru Bian
N71 Bukit Sari – Japar Bin Suyut
BN List of candidates
3 April 2011
Full list of Sarawak Barisan Nasional candidates for 2011 election
N1 Opar - Ranum anak Mina (SUPP)
N2 Tasik Biru - Peter Nansian Ngusie (SPDP)
N3 Tanjung Datu - Adenan Satem (PBB)
N4 Pantai Damai - Dr. Abdul Rahman Junaidi (PBB)
N5 Demak Laut - Dr Hazland Abang Hipni (PBB)
N6 Tupong - Daud Abdul Rahman (PBB)
N7 Samariang - Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali (PBB)
N8 Satok - Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg(PBB)
N9 Padungan - Sim Kiang Chiok(SUPP)
N10 Pending - Professor Dr Sim Hui Kian(SUPP)
N11 Batu Lintang - Sih Hua Tong (SUPP)
N12 Kota Sentosa - Datuk Alfred Yap Chin Loi (SUPP)
N13 Batu Kawa - Tan Joo Phoi (SUPP)
N14 Asajaya - Abd. Karim Rahman Hamzah (PBB)
N15 Muara Tuang - Mohamad Ali Mahmud (PBB)
N16 Bengoh - Dr. Jerip ak. Susil(SUPP)
N17 Tarat - Roland Sagah Wee Inn(PBB)
N18 Tebedu - Datuk Seri Michael Manyin ak. Jawong (PBB)
N19 Kedup - Martin Ben (PBB)
N20 Sadong - Aidil Lariwo (PBB)
N21 Simunjan - Naroden b. Haji Majais (PBB)
N22 Sebuyau - Julaihi Narawi(PBB)
N23 Lingga - Simoi Haji Peri(PBB)
N24 Beting Maro - Rozaily Gapor (PBB)
N25 Balai Ringin - Snowdan Lawan (PRS)
N26 Bukit Begunan - Mong ak. Dagang(PRS)
N27 Simanggang - Datuk Francis Harden ak. Hollis (SUPP)
N28 Engkilili - Johnichal Rayong (SUPP)
N29 Batang Ai - Malcolm Mussen Lamoh (PRS)
N30 Saribas - Ricky @ Mohd Radzi Sitam (PBB)
N31 Layar - Tan Sri Alfred Jabu ak. Numpang (PBB)
N32 Bukit Saban - Robert Lawson Chuat (PBB)
N33 Kalaka - Abdul Wahab Aziz (PBB)
N34 Krian - Datuk Peter Nyarok Entrie(SPDP)
N35 Belawai - Datuk Len Talif Salleh (PBB)
N36 Semop - Abdulah Saidol(PBB)
N37 Daro - Murni Suhaili (PBB)
N38 Jemoreng - Abu Seman Jahwie (PBB)
N39 Repok - David Teng Lung Chi (SUPP)
N40 Meradong - Ling Kie King (SUPP)
N41 Pakan - Datuk William Mawan Ikom (SPDP)
N42 Meluan - Wong Judat (SPDP)
N43 Ngemah - Alexander Vincent (PRS)
N44 Machan - Gramong Juna (PBB)
N45 Bukit Assek - Chieng Buong Toon (SUPP)
N46 Dudong - Datuk Tiong Thai King(SUPP)
N47 Bawang Assan - Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh (SUPP)
N48 Pelawan - Vincent Goh Chung Siong(SUPP)
N49 Nangka - Dr Annuar Rapaee (PBB)
N50 Dalat - Fatimah Abdullah(PBB)
N51 Balingian - Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud(PBB)
N52 Tamin - Joseph Mauh ak Ikeh(PRS)
N53 Kakus - John Sikie ak. Tayai (PRS)
N54 Pelagus - Stanley Nyitar (PRS)
N55 Katibas - Datuk Ambrose Blikau ak. Enturan (PBB)
N56 Baleh - Datuk Seri James Jemut. Masing (PRS)
N57 Belaga - Liwan Lagang (PRS)
N58 Jepak - Datuk Talib Zulpilip(PBB)
N59 Kidurong - Henry Ling(SUPP)
N60 Kemena - Dr Stephen Rundi ak Utom(PBB)
N61 Bekenu - Rosey binti Yunus SPDP)
N62 Lambir - Ripin Lamat(PBB)
N63 Piasau - Tan Sri Dr George Chan(SUPP)
N64 Pujut - Andy Chia Chu Fatt(SUPP)
N65 Senadin - Datuk Lee Kim Shin (SUPP)
N66 Marudi - Sylvester Entrie Muran(SPDP)
N67 Telang Usan - Dennis Ngau(PBB)
N68 Bukit Kota - Dr. Abdul Rahman Ismail(PBB)
N69 Batu Danau - Palu @ Paulus ak. Gumbang(SPDP)
N70 Ba'Kelalan (Yet to be announced)(SPDP)
N71 Bukit Sari - Datuk Seri Awang Tengah Ali Hassan (PBB)
Full list of Sarawak Barisan Nasional candidates for 2011 election
N1 Opar - Ranum anak Mina (SUPP)
N2 Tasik Biru - Peter Nansian Ngusie (SPDP)
N3 Tanjung Datu - Adenan Satem (PBB)
N4 Pantai Damai - Dr. Abdul Rahman Junaidi (PBB)
N5 Demak Laut - Dr Hazland Abang Hipni (PBB)
N6 Tupong - Daud Abdul Rahman (PBB)
N7 Samariang - Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali (PBB)
N8 Satok - Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg(PBB)
N9 Padungan - Sim Kiang Chiok(SUPP)
N10 Pending - Professor Dr Sim Hui Kian(SUPP)
N11 Batu Lintang - Sih Hua Tong (SUPP)
N12 Kota Sentosa - Datuk Alfred Yap Chin Loi (SUPP)
N13 Batu Kawa - Tan Joo Phoi (SUPP)
N14 Asajaya - Abd. Karim Rahman Hamzah (PBB)
N15 Muara Tuang - Mohamad Ali Mahmud (PBB)
N16 Bengoh - Dr. Jerip ak. Susil(SUPP)
N17 Tarat - Roland Sagah Wee Inn(PBB)
N18 Tebedu - Datuk Seri Michael Manyin ak. Jawong (PBB)
N19 Kedup - Martin Ben (PBB)
N20 Sadong - Aidil Lariwo (PBB)
N21 Simunjan - Naroden b. Haji Majais (PBB)
N22 Sebuyau - Julaihi Narawi(PBB)
N23 Lingga - Simoi Haji Peri(PBB)
N24 Beting Maro - Rozaily Gapor (PBB)
N25 Balai Ringin - Snowdan Lawan (PRS)
N26 Bukit Begunan - Mong ak. Dagang(PRS)
N27 Simanggang - Datuk Francis Harden ak. Hollis (SUPP)
N28 Engkilili - Johnichal Rayong (SUPP)
N29 Batang Ai - Malcolm Mussen Lamoh (PRS)
N30 Saribas - Ricky @ Mohd Radzi Sitam (PBB)
N31 Layar - Tan Sri Alfred Jabu ak. Numpang (PBB)
N32 Bukit Saban - Robert Lawson Chuat (PBB)
N33 Kalaka - Abdul Wahab Aziz (PBB)
N34 Krian - Datuk Peter Nyarok Entrie(SPDP)
N35 Belawai - Datuk Len Talif Salleh (PBB)
N36 Semop - Abdulah Saidol(PBB)
N37 Daro - Murni Suhaili (PBB)
N38 Jemoreng - Abu Seman Jahwie (PBB)
N39 Repok - David Teng Lung Chi (SUPP)
N40 Meradong - Ling Kie King (SUPP)
N41 Pakan - Datuk William Mawan Ikom (SPDP)
N42 Meluan - Wong Judat (SPDP)
N43 Ngemah - Alexander Vincent (PRS)
N44 Machan - Gramong Juna (PBB)
N45 Bukit Assek - Chieng Buong Toon (SUPP)
N46 Dudong - Datuk Tiong Thai King(SUPP)
N47 Bawang Assan - Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh (SUPP)
N48 Pelawan - Vincent Goh Chung Siong(SUPP)
N49 Nangka - Dr Annuar Rapaee (PBB)
N50 Dalat - Fatimah Abdullah(PBB)
N51 Balingian - Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud(PBB)
N52 Tamin - Joseph Mauh ak Ikeh(PRS)
N53 Kakus - John Sikie ak. Tayai (PRS)
N54 Pelagus - Stanley Nyitar (PRS)
N55 Katibas - Datuk Ambrose Blikau ak. Enturan (PBB)
N56 Baleh - Datuk Seri James Jemut. Masing (PRS)
N57 Belaga - Liwan Lagang (PRS)
N58 Jepak - Datuk Talib Zulpilip(PBB)
N59 Kidurong - Henry Ling(SUPP)
N60 Kemena - Dr Stephen Rundi ak Utom(PBB)
N61 Bekenu - Rosey binti Yunus SPDP)
N62 Lambir - Ripin Lamat(PBB)
N63 Piasau - Tan Sri Dr George Chan(SUPP)
N64 Pujut - Andy Chia Chu Fatt(SUPP)
N65 Senadin - Datuk Lee Kim Shin (SUPP)
N66 Marudi - Sylvester Entrie Muran(SPDP)
N67 Telang Usan - Dennis Ngau(PBB)
N68 Bukit Kota - Dr. Abdul Rahman Ismail(PBB)
N69 Batu Danau - Palu @ Paulus ak. Gumbang(SPDP)
N70 Ba'Kelalan (Yet to be announced)(SPDP)
N71 Bukit Sari - Datuk Seri Awang Tengah Ali Hassan (PBB)
Saturday, April 2
NCR land case victory is another evidence
KUCHING: Native landowners’ fight through the Court against the state BN government’s land-grabbing policy is yet another victory when Kuching High Court on 29 March 2011 agreed with the plaintiffs that they have their customary rights over Bukit Bediri Forest Reserve and the
“The victory against the state BN government is yet another evidence of state government’s land-grabbing policy,” said Baru Bian, Chairman of Sarawak PKR, when he commented on the court case.
“Remember, we have been releasing evidence of land-grabbing by the state government. This is the fourth such evidence, and we will release more as we are approaching the polling day,” he said, adding that the government continues to deny that it is grabbing land from the natives.
“But we have proofs that the government is taking away people’s land and giving such land to their own cronies,” he told the Press.
Meanwhile, Judicial Commissioner Rhodzariah Bte Bujang declared that the plaintiffs, Nicholas Mujah, of Kampung Ensika, Sebangan, Lai Anak Nyambong, Kampung Entanggor, Sebangan, and Pili Anak Mit, of Kampung Tungkah Dayak, Sebangan and all other proprietors, occupiers, holders and claimants have inherited native customary rights over the Bukit Bediri Forest Reserve and the Stika Forest.
Mujah, Lai and Pili have on behalf of themselves and natives of the three villages have sued Hock Tong Hin Sawmill Co. Bhd, of
The director of forests, Sarawak, the superintendent of lands and surveys, Samarahan Division and the state government of
The plaintiffs said their land consists of their NCR land or territorial domain locally referred to as ‘Pemakai Menua’ or ‘Pulau Galau’ and ‘temuda’ created before 1 January 1958, which was eventually gazetted by the state government as a communal forest for seven kampungs or villages namely Kampung Entanggor, Kampung Ensika, Kampung Stika, Kampung Sekitong, Kampung Sungai Lumut, Kampung Sungai Arus and Kampung Tungkah Dayak.
Under gazette notification No. 760 in 1959, the plaintiffs’ ancestors under the leadership of Penghulu Birong, Tuai Rumah Janta, Tuai Rumah Ranggu, Tuai Rumah Anggat, Tuai Rumah Apau, Tuai Rumah Jap and Tuai Rumah Mail were allowed to extract timber and or collect jungle produce from the said land.
On or about January 2006, the natives discovered that the Hock Tong Hin Sawmill and Roundtree Timber Sdn Bhd and their employers and workers had been found to have been trespassing the said land by building a railway track to carry out logging activities over a part of the land causing serious damages to its environments, losing of timber and polluting its river systems.
Some time in February 2006 a complaint was lodged with the District Officer, Simunjan on the encroachment of a logging activity within the said land but the officer advised the plaintiffs to make a report with Sarawak Forestry Corporation.
Thereafter a report was made at the later office at Hock Lee Centre, Kuching, but no action was taken, and when a meeting between the landowners and the representatives of the two companies failed, a blockade was erected at Bukit Bediri on September 14, 2006 to stop the felling and extracting of timber by the two companies and to stop them from causing more damages to the said land or forest and its environment.
As the result of the felling and extraction of timber, the rights to livelihood of the natives have been and continue to be seriously impaired by the acts and the provision of the law.
In their statement of claim, the natives further aver that the impairing of their rights to livelihood by the acts and the provisions of the law is unjust, unfair and unreasonable, destructive of their economic, cultural and social system for their existence and therefore not in accordance with the law.
The natives also further claim that they have been deprived of their sources of food, fish, medicine, wildlife and other forest produce which they need and are dependent upon for their daily sustenance. They have also been deprived of their sources of income from their land, fruit trees and other essential trees and crops.
In her ruling, the judge declared that the natives have the customary rights over the said land at Bukit Bediri Forest Reserve and the
She said the construction of the rail line across these two forests constitutes an encroachment and a trespass of the land.
“The defendants are jointly and severally liable to pay damages to be assessed by the Deputy Registrar, to the plaintiffs (except those from Kampung Stika) for the said trespass,” the judge ordered.
Commenting on their victory, Mujah said that the case should be a good lesson to the people especially Tuai Rumah and Penghulu that they cannot sell their customary rights over land without the consensus of the people.
“Look at the people from Kampung Stika who sold their rights ranging from RM30.00 per family to RM200 per family to the companies,” he said.
“Although the people of Stika also share the joy of victory with us, nevertheless they do not receive any compensation whatsoever from the damaged land, the destruction of their fruit trees and crops.
“This is clearly stated by the judge,” Mujah added, pointing out that this is the lesson that all longhouse chiefs and the natives must remember.
“They are penny wise pound foolish,” he added.
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