Fifty-Six years for Progress to reach Baram?

BARAM: Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Ak Numpang has urged the Orang Ulu Community to be patient, saying that they may have to wait at least 10 years for the vast Baram district to experience progress and development.

“The government has development plans for Baram. Within the next 10 years there will be opportunities for the rural district to get out of vicious poverty cycle.

“The key, of course, is the people of Baram must work hand in hand with the government, with the Barisan Nasional and with one another,” he said at the opening ceremony of PBB Telang Usan triennial delegates assembly last Saturday.

From Jabu’s remarks, the people of Baram will only benefit from the fruits of Merdeka 56 years after Sarawak has obtained her independence through the formation of Malaysia. For the past 46 years, the district has been neglected, marginalized and suppressed.

If I am not mistaken, there was a proposal decades ago to build a trunk road from Miri to Marudi. The proposal was not approved because there were no economic activities there. Furthermore, the state government did not want to disturb, like in Kapit, the boat express services there. But who own these boat expresses?

Jabu admitted that another 10 years then the people of Baram’s rural district – the Kayans, Kenyahs, Berawans, Ibans, Penans and Kelabits – will “get out of vicious poverty cycle”.

By the time, when development eventually comes, if the promise is to be fulfilled, many of those who are now 46 years old or more (if they are born before and during Sarawak’s independence in September 1963) will be dead by then. Sad that they will never taste the fruits of Merdeka.

Jabu warned them of course they must support BN, otherwise forever they will never see development.

The Baram District has abundant wealth in the form of timber, and timber related products, bird nests, good land for agricultural activities and the reason why the people are poor is because the forests have been stripped off their contents leaving nothing for the people to survive on. No wonder the timber blockades are never an ending process. – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Malaysia Day celebrations: Let us spare a thought for these unsung heroes

Whether Malaysia is celebrating its 52nd or 46th anniversary on 31 August (Malaya obtained its independence 31 August 1957 and the federation of Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963), is irrelevant to the issue that I am going to touch in this article. Nevertheless, during the 52 years or 46 years that Malaysia has been formed, we Malaysians have enjoyed tremendous development, security, peace and harmony.

Certainly there will be a lot of activities organised such as parades, funfairs, sports and games to celebrate our Merdeka. But how many of us realise, especially the younger generation, that what we enjoy today – peace, prosperity and harmony – is due on the main to the sacrifices made by our security forces – the Army, the Air force, the Navy, the Police, the Field force, the Border Scouts and especially the ordinary and unarmed people.

During the height of insurgency in Sarawak, the Sarawak Communist Organisation (SCO) which together with Indonesia opposed Sarawak joining Sabah, Singapore and Malaya to form the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. Indonesian National Army (TNI) working together with TNKU (Tentera National Kalimantan Utara) and SCO conducted armed raids into Sarawak’s territory. Communist terrorists (CTs) and TNKU were active in the then First Division, Second, Third and fourth Divisions.

We were fortunate that the British soldiers including the famous Gurkha soldiers helped to defend Sarawak. They worked very closely with the Police Field Force and Sarawak Border Scouts platoons which were formed by the famous Iban trekkers during the communist insurgency in Malaya in the 1950s. Although they scored many successes against the enemy, many among them also lost their lives in the defence of Sarawak.

But there were also unarmed civilians and ordinary people who had lost their lives just because they refused to cooperate with the communist terrorists. Instead they sacrificed themselves by supporting the government. I am thinking of people like Penghulu Imban of Sekuau and Penghulu Andok of Sarikei, Tua Kampong Bunseng Anak Munan of Kpg. Stunggang, Simin Anak Saji of Kpg. Sebamban and Jihos Anak Ginon, all of them from Lundu; Kulaw Anak Mawang of Kpg. Nibong. Serian, and countless others.

I recall being sent to Sarikei as a reporter to attend the funeral of Penghulu Andok who was cruelly and mercilessly murdered by the communists. That was in the 70s. The same fate befell Penghulu Imban. He was dragged from his longhouse in Ng. Skuau, and shot in front of the longhouse people. It was meant to be a public execution to warn the longhouse people not to support the security forces.

Had the people supported the CTs, Sarawak would have become a communist state by now. But the people refused to be intimidated. Rather the deaths of the Penghulus and Tua Kampong in the hands of the terrorists made the people in longhouses under their control not only very angry, but also inspired them to cooperate with the security forces. Their cooperation resulted in many terrorists killed as well as leading to communist terrorists’ surrender. The victory was celebrated in Simanggang in March 1974 and to mark the occasion, Simanggang was named Sri Aman.

It was due to unarmed people like Penghulu Andok and Penghulu Imban and so many others that we now enjoy peace, security and prosperity. But it seems that the government has forgotten the sacrifices made by these people. What is sadder still is that some of the terrorists and rebels who were once considered as the people’s enemy number one and who had murdered hundreds of civilians and security forces personnel and who had caused untold sufferings to thousands of Sarawakians, are now being upgraded, promoted and even recognised as heroes. Some have been given privileges to become rich, while others are now occupying or have occupied senior posts or highest post in the government.

The Malaysian history appears to be upside down now – terrorists are now considered as heroes, and the heroes are made to become villains. Worst still, their descendents’ NCR lands are being taken away and are given to big companies whose CEOs and personnel of these companies were once the backers and sympathizers of the CT organisation. Now their descendents are not fighting the CTs anymore, but ironically are fighting the state government and oil palm and timber companies that had once spawned communist terrorism.

Sad isn’t it for us who know history and truth? Nevertheless during this Merdeka day celebration, let us spare a thought for these unsung heroes and express our sympathies for those heroes who are still around and for their descendents regarding their current plight. Let us pray for the repose of the souls of those who had departed. This is the least that we can do for them. - The Broken Shield

Source: http://www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com/

Merdeka Day or Malaysia Day?

Are we celebrating 45 years of the formation of Malaysia or 51 years of Malaya’s independence? This is a question being asked by the Malaysian Insider, as it knows that so many people are confused especially in West Malaysia. Even in Sarawak and Sabah, some of the younger people are also confused.

Malaya obtained her independence from Britain on 31 August 1957 that is 51 years to this day. Sarawak, Sabah, Malaya and Singapore (Singapore left the Federation in August 1965) jointly formed the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963 as equal partners and on equal footing. However, Sarawak and Sabah have been relegated to a state equivalent to Perlis or Melaka which are smaller compared to some of the divisions in Sarawak.

In fact if Sarawak were smart enough it should have negotiated for at least, at that time, five “states” comprising the five divisions. One of the divisions headed by a resident should have been headed by a governor. Had this been the case, there would have been at least 17 States in the federation of Malaysia.

Two incidents have helped change the partnerships – one was the proclamation of state of emergency in Sarawak by Parliament when the State Constitution was amended to enable the governor to dismiss Stephen Kalong Ningkan as chief minister in 1966. And the other incident was the May 13 1969 racial riots.

Never mind about all this part of our history as nothing we can do about it. But what I would like to ask here is: why are we celebrating the 31 August as Merdeka Day and not 16 September as Malaysia Day? To us in Sarawak, and for that matter the Sabahans, 16 September has greater historical significance as it was the day we were liberated from the yoke of colonialism when we formed the federation of Malaysia. Celebrating it also means we are honouring the memories of our forefathers and the security forces whose efforts, sacrifices and loyalty in the fight against “Indonesian confrontation” and communist terrorism and as a result of their sacrifices we are today enjoying the peace, prosperity and unity.

Especially, I would like to highlight the sacrifices and dedication of our leaders such as Temenggong Jugah, Pengarah Montegrai, Tun Abang Haji Openg, Yao Cheng Hoe, Ling Beng Siew, James Wong and Remigius Durin anak Nganau who negotiated our terms and conditions of our entry into the federation of Malaysia.

I feel that the least the State government should do is to declare 16 September a public holiday rather than observing the nearest Saturday to 16 September as the birthday of Yang Dipertua Negeri. I do not mean to be disrespectful to the Yang Dipertua Negeri.

By the way, all the five States under Pakatan Rakyat have agreed to declare 16 September as a public day to celebrate Malaysia Day. Bernard Dompok, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and some Sabah State ministers have also voiced similar sentiments.

So far none of the Sarawak leaders has expressed anything to the effect, even though the State acknowledges in its Almanac that 16 September is “Hari Malaysia” with the words printed in small print.

It is really sad.