PR leaders sign Kuching Declaration

September 16, 2012

KUCHING:  The leaders of Pakatan Rakyat signed the ‘Kuching Declaration’ in conjunction with Malaysia Day celebration to pledge and promise to the nation and the people of Malaysia that when they form the next government of Malaysia they will honour all its pledges and promises.

The de facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)  Anwar Ibrahim signed on behalf of his party, while Lim Kit Siang, DAP National adviser signed on behalf of DAP and  Haji Abdul Hadi Awang, PAS President signed on behalf of PAS.

Also affixing their signatures on the declaration were also state leaders.  Sarawak PKR Chief Baru Bian signed on behalf of PKR, while Wong Ho Leng, Sarawak DAP Chairman signed on behalf of DAP and Haji Adam Ahid, PAS Commissioner on behalf of his party.

The Declaration reads: “Lest we forget, and lest all the peoples of our great Nation of Malaysia forget, we the undersigned do once again firmly, resolutely and unequivocally pledge and promise before the whole Nation of Malaysia as our witness, on this historically day the 16^th of September, 2012, in the City of Kuching, and on behalf of our respective parties and Pakatan Rakyat will honour all its pledges and promises to the peoples of Malaysia.

“We will honourably execute all the policies set forth in the Buku Jingga so that Malaysia will once again be a great Nation, her peoples prosperous, her future secure and peaceful, and her name celebrated by all the nations of the world.

“We will honour the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 which our founding fathers put their hands to, and as a sign of our deep commitment to the peoples of Sarawak and Sabah, consistent with democratic principles and justice for all Malaysians, in particular:

ARTICLE ONE: EQUAL PARTNERS

“We will restore the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement and the position of Sarawak and Sabah as equal partners within Malaysia by restoring autonomy to Sarawak and Sabah within the framework of the Federal Constitution.

ARTICLE TWO: FAIR REPRESENTATION

“We will increase national integration between Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia through a fair power-sharing arrangement that fully upholds the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement.

ARTICLE THREE: CITIZENSHIP

“We will set up a Royal Commission to solve the perennial national problem of illegal immigration and citizenship, particularly in Sarawak and Sabah.

ARTICLE FOUR: RESTORATION OF NATIVE CUSTOMARY RIGHTS OVER LAND

“We will endorse the authority already vested in the State Laws of Sarawak and Sabah to set up Land Commissions to investigate, resolve disputes, redress, survey and restore Native Customary Rights over Native Customary Lands.

ARTICLE FIVE: COMPETENT SARAWAK AND SABAH

“We will endorse the appointment of Sarawak and Sabah citizens to head Government Departments in their own respective States and by the powers vested in the State Secretaries of both States as well as give first priority to the appointment of Sarawak and Sabah citizens at Federal Government level functioning within Sarawak and Sabah.

ARTICLE SIX: OIL JUSTICE

“We will raise the royalties paid on petroleum and hydrocarbon resources to Sarawak and Sabah to 20% from the present 5%.

ARTICLE SEVEN: EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT

“We will bring the level of infrastructure development in Sarawak and Sabah up to par with Peninsular Malaysia.

“We, the undersigned, make this declaration as an incontrovertible contract between the Pakatan Rakyat and the peoples of Malaysia, this historic day of 16^th September, 2012 on Malaysia Day, so that it may ring out resoundingly from Malaysia’s high forest hills down to the open sea; so that freedom may ever reign; and our peoples live in unity!” 

Anwar’s message to Iban voters

SIBU: Anwar Ibrahim, Pakatan Rakyat Opposition leader, today reminded the Ibans that they will continue to lose their native customary rights (NCR) land if they continue to support the Barisan Nasional government.

“Many of you have already lost your land and will continue to lose your land if you continue to support the Barisan Government,” he said at Rumah Baseh’s 28-door longhouse, Bawang Assan.

“There are hundreds of court cases of NCR land being brought by the Ibans against the BN government as a result of their land being taken away and given to companies and their cronies,” he said.

“Don’t vote for the BN-SUPP candidate because SUPP is part and parcel of the State Government that has caused a lot of troubles to the Ibans.

“If you vote for the BN-SUPP candidate, you are courting trouble. Your rights over land have been taken away and forests around you have been cleared in order to make the BN leaders and their cronies richer,” Anwar stressed.

Anwar who was accompanied by the Pakatan-DAP candidate Richard Wong Ho Leng, told the Ibans to put a stop to this discriminatory policy of land grabbing.

He told them that it was important for them to vote for the Pakatan-DAP candidate, Richard Wong in order to send a strong message to the state government.

“Help us to help you protect your land,” he added.

“We must change this government and change must begin from this by-election,” Anwar said and assured the Ibans that under Pakatan government they would be treated fairly and their land would be protected.

The Pakatan government would not be corrupted like the BN government, he said.

Anwar arrived in Sibu on Saturday to help campaign for the Pakatan-DAP candidate in the by-election.

Iban voters who form about 20% of the 54,695 voters in the Sibu parliamentary constituency are regarded as “king maker” in the by-election scheduled for 16 May.

The by-election which was necessitated by the death of the MP for Sibu Robert Lau Hoi Chew on 9 April will see a three-cornered fight between Pakatan-DAP candidate, BN-SUPP Robert Lau Hui Jew and an independent, Narawi Haron.

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Is Adit serious in forming a new party?

Gabriel Adit (pic above), State assemblyman for Ngemah and a leader of Sarawak PKR has been rumoured to be the leader of the rumoured formation of the new party, Pakatan Rakyat Malaysia, a supposedly a multi-racial party.

Many do not take him seriously judging by the conflicting statements he made to the Press in Sibu on Wednesday night during which he was to announce the protem office-bearers. Apparently he could not announce the names of the protem office-bearers when the response to the gathering was only a small group of 40 people. Here again, the majority of those present were his supporters from Ngemah.

He would have expected hundreds of people to come after he made telephone calls to many of his colleagues in PKR as well as to those ex-PBDS members who have remained partyless for the past five years or so. But these people either took him lightly or did not want to join him.

In his statement to The Borneo Post, he said the gathering in Sibu had nothing to do with the formation of PRM; it was to form a committee in preparation for the next state election.

To a question about his future in Keadilan, he said: “Today (Wednesday) I am still a PKR man. I don’t know about tomorrow. You will have to ask me again tomorrow.”

In The Eastern Times, Adit said: “When it is time, I will make the announcement. I will alert the Press.”

Some of those who are close to Adit say that he is leaving for Kuala Lumpur on 11 October presumably to hand over the application to form PRM to the Registrar of Societies and he should be back on 15 October and if every thing goes well to announce the formation of the new party.

He has even told a friend to ready a banner with the words “Welcome Adit, the PRM leader to Sarawak”.

Adit was said to have told a few close friends that the constitution and the logo of the party have been ready for some time. He said he has a “big” sponsor for the party, someone who is close to the corridors of power in Kuala Lumpur.

“Definitely, he is not Sng Chee Hua,” he said.

“This time it is not Sng Chee Hua. You believe me,” he assured his friends.

Many of his friends have been taken by surprise when Adit’s name was mentioned to be the leader of the new party. Because all this while, we have heard him bringing a “few thousands of my supporters” to join PKR and that he spoke among the loudest of all the PKR leaders in Sarawak. “Help PKR to get rid of Taib,” he often said. He is known to be an ardent member of PKR.

I am reminded of what my brother told me that we must be wary of those politicians who speak the loudest, the longest and the most critical, because they will be the ones who will become the first to become “political frogs”. My brother was referring to Johnichal Rayong, the SNAP state assemblyman for Engkilili when he was about to “jump frog” to SPDP in 2006.

I told my brother “cannot be, as he was the one who spoke the loudest, the longest and the most critical against Alfred Jabu at Kaki Wong in Betong before the State election.” So he replied: “We must be wary of those who speak the loudest, the longest and the most critical.” It seems that my brother has been proved right once again. (Sorry to digress a bit.)

But one may ask why is Adit making a 360-degree turn? I was told he met Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat recently. He was reported to have told Anwar that if Pakatan Rakyat were to topple the state government, then they have to need a large sum of money for each constituency.

“What large money, rupiah?” Anwar jokingly asked him. Anwar’s reply and how Anwar treated him all this while made him angry and said to a friend: “Ila asai, tetudok iya ila.”

Anwar does not see any leadership quality in Adit especially after an incident at the Crown Tower when he was drunk and came to the stage to utter very unpleasant words regarding remarks about 'drinking ribena'. PKR President Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was there. Daniel Tajem was the guest of honour. – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Dayaks in S'wak BN 'should join PKR' ~ Malaysiakini

Taken from http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/106472

Sarawak PKR leader Augustine Liom wants Dayaks in Barisan Nasional (BN) to join Pakatan Rakyat to change the state government, so that native customary rights (NCR) to land can be protected.

“It is a matter of urgency that we put into power a government that is kind to us and which is protective of our rights especially land rights and the rights to property as guaranteed in the federal constitution,” he said.

“Any support to the BN and its component parties means only a support to maintain a status quo. We get nowhere. A handful of seats to Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party, a handful seats for Parti Rakyat Sarawak and a handful of seats to Parti Bumiputra Bersatu and Sarawak United People’s Party. That is all.

“We continue to be split, divided, ruled and manipulated and to gradually lose our lands. So we have no choice but to go for a radical or revolutionary change in our political approach.”

Liom, a former judge, was recently appointed to head the land and human rights bureau of the state PKR. He was speaking at a Gawai Dayak dinner organised by the PKR women’s wing in Kuching.

“Our Dayak friends in BN ought to now join us to make this happen to change the state government. Otherwise posterity will not judge then too kindly [...]

“Do not be overwhelmed by your comfort of office that you forget where you have come from. I say ‘comfort of office’. I don’t say ‘comfort of power’ because we know that they do not have that much power.

“Real and meaningful power is in the exclusive domain of chief minister and his handful of inner circle of confidantes. They will not be so kind as to share that power.”

Liom said the results of the March 2008 parliamentary elections have led Sarawakians to realise the political reality.

“The Dayaks now need a national party as their political vehicle. Sarawak National Party is nominally alive. Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak is dead and gone. Malaysian Dayak Congress has not seen the light of the day.

“What we need is a political vehicle, that is PKR, and we need Malays like Anwar Ibrahim (right) to champion the Dayak cause, not Malays who will divide us or who will rob us of our NCR land.

“We place our trust in PKR and Anwar to champion the Dayak cause. This is a stark political reality we have to come to accept and to live with. There is now no alternative to that.”


‘Daylight robbery’

Liom said BN leaders have denied that the state government had robbed the people of their NCR to land.

“But when longhouse folks wake up one day to find tractors ploughing through their rubber or fruit trees on land they have toiled for generations and are told that the government had granted lease to their land to a logging or plantation company usually connected to people in power - is that not daylight robbery? That is what is happening in our midst,” he said.

He said the government would then tell the landowners to prove that it was NCR land, but that this is difficult when the original settlers have died and because landowners could not acquire NCR by purchase.

“So in effect, it means gradually and eventually NCR land will be no more. And that is the policy of the BN government,” he added.

“Have we heard any BN Dayak leader calling for a survey and for the issuance of titles to NCR land? No one in BN dares to make such a call. On such matter, only one man decides.”

PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who was present, said: “If we want to change Sarawak for the better, then it is now or never.”

At a press conference after declaring open the Batu Kawa PKR service centre earlier, she said the party had held discussions with a number of past and present BN leaders to join the party before the end of the year.

“I am not going to reveal names. Let there be an element of surprise,” she said, without dismissing the possibility that some of these leaders are from Sarawak.

Anwar’s message to the Dayaks ~ ref. Malaysiakini

De facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Anwar Ibrahim’s message to 5,000 people, the majority of them were Dayaks last night was loud and clear - if they wanted their NCR land back, then they must help Pakatan Rakyat (People’s Alliance) topple the State Barisan Nasional government.

“With your support we can change this government. But we must start now and must work very hard,” he said at a dinner at Mile 4 in Kuching. Anwar knew that Dayaks had suffered as a result of their NCR land being taken away by the State Government.

He assured that the problems involving the NCR land could be solved within six months if Pakatan Rakyat comprising PKR, DAP and PAS was to form the next State government.

“We will return the land to the people. This is my message to the people of Sarawak,” he said and added: “Look at Selangor. It has changed tremendously after Pakatan Rakyat under Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as Menteri Besar. This is the reason I bring Khalid to Kuching tonight so that he can tell you about Selangor.”

Indeed land has become a major issue in every election in the State. But the sad thing is that it was not “hot” enough to win votes for the candidates who challenged the BN candidates in the rural areas. The reason was simple: the people were sweet-talked to vote for BN candidates in exchange for bounties. They were blinded by the “ang pow” of RM20 or RM30 in addition to minor rural development projects promised to them.

No doubt there is political tsunami brewing in West Malaysia after last March election. But for such a change to take place here in Sarawak, two things that need to be stressed here.

It is important for PKR to have quality candidates, candidates who have a cause to fight rather than “kaki lima” candidates who are only serving their own personal agenda as it is also equally important for Sarawakians especially Dayaks to know what they really want in the coming election: change this present government or remain being subordinated at least for the next five years. The choice is ours as voters. – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Who are the biggest culprits against Dayak Adat? ~ ref. Malaysiakini

“I will give Jabu 72 hours to respond,

failing which we will institute legal proceedings

without any further reference to him”.

It is the arrogance of a man who has been a minister and deputy chief minister for more than 30 years as he thinks he knows “best” and the rest of the people are stupid. Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang has been attacking, chiding and criticising any one or organisation that crosses his path. Nowadays his latest “victim” is Anwar Ibrahim, de facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and leader of the parliamentary Opposition.

During the last sitting of the Council Negeri in November, Jabu accused Anwar Ibrahim of not respecting the Dayak Adat, when he visited a longhouse in Lubok Antu on 24 May 08. Jabu said: “The longhouse suffered a sudden death that day and apparently certain quarters had blamed Anwar for not having cleansed himself since he was convicted of sodomy charge.”

Jabu said that Anwar was regarded as still “apin bersih” (not clean) in Dayak Adat and must undergo “enselan” (cleansing ritual usually with the blood of a hen or a pig in the case of an Iban leader). Nowadays, whenever he visited longhouses in Betong or Lubok Antu, Jabu kept on recycling his rebuke of Anwar. (It is understood that Anwar has demanded an apology from Jabu over the accusation.)

But Jabu has conveniently forgotten that oil palm companies, the Cabinet ministers and the State Government are the biggest culprits against the Dayak Adat. They have no respect for the Adat when they not only destroy fruit trees and crops planted on their farms, but they do not also respect the Native customary rights of the farmers over their land which their forefathers had created hundreds of years ago. Their “tembawai” (sites of previous longhouses), “pendam tuai” (centuries old graveyards) and their longhouses have also been bulldozed and demolished by these companies.

As a result of these companies having “kurang ajar” or no respect on the Dayak Adat, thousands of the Natives and their families have suffered; some have lost their lands, their longhouses and incomes. Worse, many have been criminalized and sent to jail for defending their Adat, and many more Natives have to incur money unnecessarily to engage lawyers to bring these companies to court.

Now who are the biggest culprits against the Dayak Adat – the accuser or the accused?

And let me quote a passage or two from the Holy Bible. Matthew 7: 3: “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in their own eye?

5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” - The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Dayaks must learn from Permatang Pauh voters

Is there anything we the Dayaks can learn from the Permatang Puah (PP) voters who gave a thumping victory to Anwar Ibrahim last Tuesday (26 Aug 2008)? Definitely the answer is yes.

Despite the UMNO/BN guns campaigning against Anwar Ibrahim, despite the various allegations including sodomy against him, despite the pouring of millions of ringgit of development funds for Permatang Pauh, and despite the threats and intimidation against the voters, yet the PP voters elected Anwar with a bigger majority – bigger than the majority secured by his wife during the March 8 elections.

In so far as by-elections are concerned, the party in power, in this case the UMNO/BN, has always had the upper hand, deploying every available means at its disposal including the use of government machinery to ensure its victory. Usually the BN wins in by-elections, and if it loses, it loses with a small majority. But this time around, the BN loses with a huge majority – 15,571 votes. So what does this indicate?

In past elections, the Dayaks, despite being marginalized, despite being the poorest community in the country, and having suffered due to the State BN policies, we Dayaks continue to elect BN candidates. Unlike the PP voters, we Dayaks easily fall prey to promises and happily receive a “reward” of RM20 and RM30 each to vote for the BN candidates, as we are “mudah lupa” (forgetting easily) the bigger problems that we are to face in the next five years.

If we are to continue with this habit and attitude come next election, then we Dayaks can never learn from our folly. For sure in the next State election, Sarawak will be the target of political tsunami that has wiped out BN from five States in West Malaysia. Now with Anwar Ibrahim being elected as an MP and possibly becoming the next Prime Minister, he has pledged to introduce the political tsunami in order to drown Abdul Taib Mahmud’s political dominance. But the question is: are we ready for the new political culture? Or are we going to be part of the tsunami in ending Taib’s political dominance?

For what you know, Taib may be the first person to join Anwar if he knows that Anwar is going to form the next Federal Government in the interest of “Negara kita, bangsa kita dan agama kita”. In doing so, Taib is not only saving his own skin and protects his family’s business, but he may also be given a special position in the Anwar government. If this scenario is to materialize, then we Dayaks again will be caught with our pants down and will be left behind – this time we will be left far, far behind.

Therefore in my mind, this is the time to strike when the iron is hot. Dayak leaders in PRS leaders such as Dr. James Masing, MP Joseph Salang, MP Joseph Entulu, and MP Aaron Dagang should seriously consider joining the Pakatan Rakyat and demand we be given more important posts in the Federal cabinet. As the saying goes: the early bird gets the biggest worms. After all, PRS under the present government is not being respected and has only a little voice. Failing to play to the gallery, PRS itself may also be drowned when the tsunami hits Sarawak.

Anwar receives a copy of The Broken Shield

"Datuk Seri, may I have the pleasure to present to you a copy of my book, The Broken Shield. PKR is now establishing its influence to Dayak areas. If you want to know more about Dayak problems, Dayak politics, this book will help you," said the author of The Broken Shield, when he presented a copy of the book to the defacto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last Thursday ( 24 April 08) at a function at the Grand Continental Hotel.

As he glanced through the pages, he looked up to the author and said: "So you wrote about the Ming Court affair. This book must be very interesting. Thank you very much."

The author also presented a copy of the book to Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, PKR leader from Sabah who was accompaying Anwar to visit Kuching.

Like Anwar, Dr. Jeffrey also thanked the author and congratulated him for producing such a fine book. "I will remember you and give you a copy of my book."

Dr. Jeffrey has authored "Justice for Sabah" one of the most controversial books that had ever been written about Malaysia. The book is not allowed to be sold in bookshops.

Meanwhile, at a Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) workshop at Ranchan Pool, Serian, the book was selling like hot cakes. Uptill now, more than 500 copies of the book have been sold by the author.

The book can only be sold through the author. And anyone interested to purchase the book, can contact the author at 019-8763222 or email josephtawie@yahoo.com