Duo to be blamed for SADIA's predicament

16 October 2011

According to the Borneo Post dated 16 Oct 2011, Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) president Sidi Munan and secretary general Nicholas Mujah should be held responsible if the association is deregistered by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

SADIA Bintulu branch secretary Thomas Nyaring said the delegates who attended the triennial general meeting on October 1 were not even told of the ROS show cause letter by either Sidi or Mujah.

“Sidi and Mujah should have called for an emergency meeting to explain to all the SADIA branches in Sarawak of the show cause letter they have received from ROS as most SADIA branches in Sarawak were not aware of their failure in carrying out their duties as president and secretary general.

“They even failed to produce written secretary’s report and statement of account during the last TGA on October 1,” he complained in a statement.

He said the duo should have resigned from SADIA if they were not able to handle the association’s affairs.

“They are only trying to get cheap publicity by holding the posts as president and secretary general of SADIA hindering some government programmes using SADIA as their base.

“I advise Sidi and Mujah to join one of the political parties if they want to be active in political activities and leave SADIA as to someone else so that Iban community can still rely on SADIA as their body to look after their cultural heritage and welfare,” he said.

SADIA to be deregistered?

KUCHING: The 28-year old Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA), one of the most effective non-governmental organisations, is facing deregistration following complaints by the Registrar of Societies for contravening the provisions of the Societies Act 1966.

In his show caused letter dated 23 August 2011, the registrar alleged SADIA of being involved in the Batang Ai by-election in 2008.

He also alleged that SADIA has contravened the Article VI clause 1 of the Societies Act and Regulations for not holding its triennial delegates conference. Its last meeting was held in 2006.

It has also failed to elect new office-bearers which should be held in 2009 as well as failing to submit its annual returns for the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

SADIA has been given until September 23 to reply to the show-caused letter.

SADIA President Sidi Munan told SADIA members that he had replied to the show-caused letter, and the association is still awaiting the outcome of the ROS’ decision.

Judging by the tone of the show-caused letter which was signed by Deputy Registrar of Societies Malaysia, Haji Fison bin Haji Yahaya, there is the likelihood that SADIA is in real danger of being deregistered.

ROS Kuching Ken Leben was not available for comment.

The authorities have been targeting the association for the past five years after it was actively involved in defending the rights of natives and the indigenous people especially when the native customary rights (NCR) lands were encroached upon by oil palm plantation and timber companies.

Almost all of these companies have connections one way or another with the powers that be in the state.

The authorities are also fearful of SADIA as it is an accredited member of Economic and Social Council of United Nations (ECOSOC), and a member of the Indigenous Peoples’ Network of Malaysia or Jaringan Orang Asal Se-Malaysia (JAOS), an umbrella of 21 community-based non-governmental organisations that have the indigenous peoples’ issues as the focus.

It is also a member of Asia Indigenous Peoples’ Pact (AIPP), an organisation of indigenous peoples’ movement in Asia.

SADIA Secretary General Nicholas Mujah said that SADIA headquarters has been raided twice in the past two years, the latest was in June this year by officials from the Home Affairs Ministry, who have taken substantial amount of documents including court exhibits and affidavits.

Until now, SADIA staff members including Mujah have not been charged in court.

SADIA was registered in 1984 with the aim to promote the usage and the advancement of Iban Language, and its efforts which were supported by Iban officers in the Education Department resulted in Iban language being studied in Primary and secondary schools. Moves to study Iban in tertiary education are underway.

Its other objectives are to protect the Iban Adat, traditions and customs.

Lately it has been in the forefront in the protection of the native customary rights (NCR) land resulting in a number of its members being jailed for defending the NCR land.

And because of evidence given by SADIA officials, the majority of NCR land cases have been ruled in favour of the natives.

Ibans, Bidayuhs, Orang Ulu and even Malays have sought the advice and assistance from SADIA, which acts as their paralegal before the filing of any NCR claims against the government.

“I believe that SADIA’s involvement in defending the rights of the natives as far as NCR land is concerned is one of the real reasons why ROS is asked to cancel its registration.

“I believe that complaints come from some of the Iban leaders who are pro-BN,” said a senior member of SADIA who requested anonymity.

The Kapit-Sibu Road - Is it gimmick?

The proposal to construct RM700-million Kapit-Sibu Road is not a political gimmick, says Michael Manyin, the newly appointed minister for infrastructure development.

“We have already the funds to carry it out. And tenders for the first phase will be out by the end of the year,” he said. The first phase is between Ngemah and Song.

Of course Manyin is trying to convince the people that the proposed construction of the Kapit-Sibu Road is not a political gimmick because he does not want the issue to be politicalised in the coming election by the opposition.

Can he blame people for harbouring such perception?

Like Pantu “Bridge”, this is the much-talked proposal of road construction. This year alone several ministers including prime minister and minister for rural development have given assurance that the road will be constructed. Last year, several ministers had talked about it. I lost account of the number of ministers talking about the proposed road.

In fact, for the past 47 years, the people have been talking about it and asking about it. The late Tun Jugah had asked for it, so were the late MP Miut Sibat, the former MPs Leonard Linggi Jugah and James Jimbun and the incumbent MP Alexander Nanta Linggi (grandson of Tun Jugah). The others who have asked for the road included Dr. James Masing, the former Council Negeri members such as Nuing Anak Kudi, Philimon Nuing, Felix Bantin, and etc.

There are also associations which also have been requesting for the road to be constructed. And yet until today we have heard of the proposal, but there is no implementation.

One of the reasons why the road has not been constructed is due to the fact there are no “economic activities”. We do not know what it means by “economic activities.”

Could it mean there are no valuable timbers, no large forests, no gold or coal mines? If there were forests with valuable timbers, gold or coal mines, I am certain that the powers that be would have built the road long time ago. And most probably such resources will be given to their families and cronies.

But now the government wants to build the road. Apparently there are “economic activities” now along the proposed road. And the “economic activities” could be large tracts of land – the Iban native customary rights lands along the way from Kapit, to Song, Ngemah, Kanowit and Sibu.

So the Ibans and other natives must beware that their NCR lands may be taken away from them like what has happened in other parts of the State. PELITA, a government agency, is watching the Iban lands. Together with big companies, PELITA will ask for a provisional lease (PL) from the authority through Land and Survey department to forcibly take away the lands and declare them as state lands.

If you say that lands are your NCR lands, then the burden of proof will be on the land owners. And in the process of defending your lands many of you will go to jail; your crops and fruit trees will be destroyed. Even longhouses and farm houses will be demolished. There are many examples on these cruel acts.

It is advisable for the land owners now to carry out survey of your own land before the proposed road passes through your area. Contact Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) for advice and assistance. As the saying goes, ready your umbrella, before it rains.

But if there are no “prawns underneath the stone”, (no ulterior motive) then we should all welcome the construction of the road as more than 100,000 Ibans, other natives, Malays and Chinese will benefit.- The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

SADIA Sec Gen chased out from NCR land forum

KUCHING – President of Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia, Adrian Banie Lasimbang condemned the discriminating act by the Prime Minister’s Department in preventing Nicholas Mujah, a community representative, from participating in the public forum that was organised by the department.

The aim of the forum held at a leading hotel was to gather information and feedback on numerous issues so as to understand and resolve the perennial problems of the people.

The forum, part of the national circuit, was chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala.

Participants included senior government officers from various ministries, Resident and District officers, Sarawak Attorney General, representatives of plantation companies, community leaders and private individuals.

Mujah, Secretary General of Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) which has been in the forefront of defending native customary rights lands against encroachment by companies and Pelita was chased out from the land forum on Tuesday, 9 February 2010.

Commenting on the incident, Lasimbang said: “The organisers of the forum were wrong in ejecting Mujah out, a well known community representative and NCR activist who has been advocating Orang Asal rights. He plays an important role in providing feedback as well as recommendations for the public forum.

“Mujah should not be stopped from attending the forum, unless the Prime Minister’s Department is not serious in addressing the NCR land issues and that this event is just another window dressing for the public,” he said.

Mujah who is also a member of Peoples Network had already participated in the first part of the forum in the morning session. During the morning break, he was pulled by one of the organisers to a room and was told to leave the forum as participation was only by invitation.

“Until the government moves forward towards a meaningful solution with the full and effective participation of the Orang Asal, NCR land disputes will continue to take place throughout the state, and to the detriment of the rights of the indigenous peoples of Sarawak,” Lasimbang added.

According to Mujah: “When they saw me attending the meeting, I was called by a member of the organising committee and asked me which organisation I was from.

“I told them I am from the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association. He told me to leave as I was not invited to attend,” Mujah said.

He claimed that he was invited to attend in order to represent a non-governmental organisation.

Mujah said that an organisation such as SADIA which has deeply involved in NCR land issues should be invited to explain the “real truth” and the roots of the problems.

“The government must be given the truths and the correct facts if they are really serious of solving the problems. There is nothing g to hide.

“And why should they be scared of SADIA?” he asked.

All this while, he added, the federal government has been misled by the State authorities and it is high time the federal government be told the truth.

Mujah said that SADIA would write to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Minister in the Prime Minister Department, Idris Jala on the NCR land problems.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang blamed non-governmental organisations for “cocking up” NCR land issues which were compounded by their claims and allegations that the government was out to steal native customary land, particularly those belonging to the Ibans.

“If the land is rightly theirs the government would return it to them. In fact in many cases the government has returned many NCL to their owners.

“These NGOs have made the issues a platform from which to manipulate the people as well as make attempts to topple the government,” he said.

He said the Land Code in Sarawak recognised by the State and the Federal Government and therefore the rights of the natives are indeed protected.

“So it is not correct for the people to say that the government had stolen their NCL,” Jabu stressed. – The Broken Shield

www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

SADIA asks for help

KUCHING – The Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) wants the manipulation and violation of the native rights in Sarawak to be brought to the attention of a United Nation Convention to be held next month in Copenhagen.

“SADIA is not invited to the convention, but please help us to highlight the manipulation and violation of our native rights by timber and plantation companies in Sarawak,” said SADIA President Sidi Munan.

He made the appeal after briefing a high powered delegation from Bangladesh on problems affecting the indigenous people of Sarawak at the SADIA headquarters on Wednesday afternoon (11 Nov 2009).

As guests of the association, the 11-member delegation was in Kuching to study problems faced by the indigenous people in the State.

Led by State Minister Dipankar Talukdar, the delegation which included Members of Parliament, a judge and an UNDP representative had met native leaders in Sabah and Orang Asli in the peninsula for a similar fact finding mission. They will proceed to Jakarta and West Kalimantan on Friday.

Sidi said: “Since your country is going to attend the convention, please help us to highlight problems, the violation, manipulation and exploitation of our native rights which have become very acute in the last five years by plantation and timber companies.

“Not only our catchment areas and our rivers have been polluted, our NCR lands have also been encroached into. Many of our natives have been arrested and jailed for defending their land and their rights,” he added.

He said: “In the meantime, the natives have taken their cases to court, but for their cases to be solved, it would take one year to 10 years. And by that time, there is nothing left of native rights. Thus, the only way open for them is to put up blockades against these companies.”

Sidi said SADIA has been trying to help by highlighting and bringing to the attention of international bodies regarding the problems faced by the natives.

Speaking on behalf of delegation, Dipankar Talukdar said that not much was known about the natives of Sarawak but after they had been briefed and seen a documentary film on the plight of the natives they were now enriching their knowledge.

“Exploitation of natives is a world-wide phenomenon and nobody pays any attention to them,” he said, adding that his country did not have such a problem now as the present government’s policy to help the indigenous people was supported by the majority of the non-indigenous people.

“But let us all, the indigenous people of the world be united in order to ensure a better future,” he said.

After the briefing, they left for a longhouse, Kampung Temiang in Simunjan, where they stayed for the night.

(Note: The story was first published by The Malaysian Mirror and it is reproduced here for the readers of The Broken Shield)