Who are against 1Malaysia concept?

1Malaysia concept as espoused by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should be accepted by all if it is to be implemented. In spirit or sloganeering alone is not enough; it must be implemented in deed and in action.

Under the concept “every race is equal” as Dr. James Masing, PRS president explained over Radio Iban some time ago.

But there are people, government departments, ministries and universities which are working against this concept.

For example, UiTM is one such organisation which does not practise 1Malaysia concept.

Starting 29 April until 7 May, UiTM campuses in the country are recruiting students who achieved only 4 credits to be adopted under “Destini anak Bansa” (literally it means the destiny of our children).

In its campus at Kota Samarahan, 500 students will be recruited for this programme for the various pre-university courses with food and lodging given free especially whose parents are earning RM500 or less per month.

The programme is ranging from six months to one year.

If you look into the programme, it appears that the UiTM staff and lecturers are concentrating only in Malay kampongs such as Tabuan Melayu, Sg. Apong, Kpg. Gita, Kpg. Tupong, Pusa, Bako, Senari, Gobil, Muara Tebas, Demak Laut, Semerah Padi, Buso, Kpg. Gedong, Simunjan, Asajaya, Limbang, Santubong, Mukah, Niah, Bekenu, Sematan, Lundu and Bintulu to name some of the kampongs.

Nothing is mentioned about Dayak Iban longhouses in places like Julau, Pakan, Meluan, Kanowit, Kapit, Selangau, Bukit Begunan and other Dayak Iban areas. Certainly, there are thousands of Dayak Iban students who only obtained 4 credits in last year SPM examination. And I am sure there are hundreds of thousands of Dayak Iban parents who are hardcore poor who also need help.

And at the same time all the teachers/lecturers who conduct the interviews are all Malays. But why are Dayak Iban lecturers not involved?

What the UiTM campus at Kota Samarahan is doing is certainly opening the eyes of Ibans and Iban leaders (if they can really open their eyes due to their eyes covered with greed, financial considerations and fear.)

This is only one organisation that is practising “Ketuanan Melayu”, and there are many departments, ministries and government agencies we know and we do not know that are practising this “Apartheid” policy.

Another case of injustice is the recent exercise in which some 800 students were interviewed for Public Service Commission scholarships to take up medicine, pharmacy, engineering, and etc in overseas universities. In Kuching alone, there were 300 students. In one stream of 185 students, there were only 11 Dayaks – four Ibans, one Orang Ulu and six Bidayuhs.

As far as the Kuching interview was concerned, this is indeed a very poor representation of the Ibans.

But can we blame the authorities for all these inconsistencies, unfairness and injustices? Certainly no! The Iban leaders themselves – the YBs and the Ministers - are to be blamed because they do not stand up and speak up for the Iban community.

Allow me to digress a little bit. I really appreciate what Dayak Bidayuhs like Peter Minos dare to demand (not ask) from the government. When they ask for one deputy minister, the federal government gives them not one, but two including the forthcoming appointment of my friend Richard Riot. The other is James Dawos. They also demand from SUPP that the post of chairman of Padawan Municipal Council be given to a Bidayuh or else SUPP and BN will lose two Bidayuh seats of Bengoh and Opar. They hold the government at ransom.

On top of that the Bidayuh community asked for RM4 million to repair or to renovate the DBNA building, the government not only obliged, but also gave them more than what they asked for.

And as for our Iban leaders, they do not stand up or speak up. Some of our YBs are just like the Iban expression “baka ramaong di rumah raong di tanah” (literally it means they are just like leopards/tigers in the house and toads on land). While at their constituencies or longhouses, they talk big, wanting to be heard by their wives and supporters, but in Parliament or State legislative assembly, they are sleeping. They are only “jagoh kampong” (local champions).

But there are others who are “raong di rumah ramaong di tanah”. While in the house they pretend to be very quiet, because they are scared of their wives, but outside they really enjoy themselves drinking in the company of beautiful women and singers. Some YBs keep not one mistress, but two or three. And I am not jealous when I point out this. Far from it. But what I want to stress here is that being a public figure representing our community, they should speak up and fight for the interest of the people who voted for them. Instead they are doing the apple polishing and womanizing.

No wonder Dayak Ibans do not get any respect from other communities, nor do they get anything from the government given the type of leaders we do have now. - The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Where are Your YBs?

According to The Borneo Post on 22 April, families from landslide-affected Rumah Ali, Kerangan Tinggi in Krian Saratok which occurred early this year are disappointed that the relevant authorities have yet to respond to their plight.

One of the victims, Andrew Unjah, 51, three months after the disaster which damaged their properties, they had yet to receive any assistance from the authorities nor hear any news from them.

According to him, the landslide which occurred on the night of January 11 had brought down his toilet, generator shed and fuel storage. His brother-in-law Mathew Handary was also a victim who received a harder blow as his “bilik” was located at the end of the nine-door longhouse. The second landslide occurred on the morning of January 29.

Mathew had lodged a report of the incident at the Saratok Police Station. His loss was about RM2,000, while Andrew’s was RM500. After being informed, the district officer visited the damaged longhouse. The JKKK officially wrote to the district officer who in turn wrote to the Betong Divisional Disaster Committee with copies to the Betong Resident, Divisional engineer and the welfare department.

Top leaders at federal and state levels had been sympathetic to the victims of calamities, yet it was disappointing to note that the agencies in the division entrusted to look after their welfare had failed to translate their concern into action. But where is Peter Nyarok, Krian State assemblyman or Jelaing Meresat, the Saratok MP?

Why? The question can easily be answered. Usually if victims of calamities are supporters of Barisan Nasional, the BN leaders are all out to visit the scene and bring goodies and other assistance. I can assure you the first to visit will be deputy chief minister Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang especially if the area is in a PBB constituency. Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, Abang Johari, George Chan and the YB in the particular area will visit them.

But if you are perceived to be supporters of opposition, the BN will ignore you. Unless and when there is a by-election as in the case of the recently concluded Batang Ai by-election when they will bring gunny sacks of money, make promises of development and beg you to support the BN.

They will bring bulldozers and appear to be busy doing some road works, and on the day when polling begins, they start to pull their bulldozers out of the area (this we saw in Batang Ai).

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has reminded BN leaders that political rhetoric could erode public confidence. He said that the people would be most unhappy if what were promised to them were not fulfilled.

Speaking in Johor Bahru, Najib said: “If we make a certain promise, we must deliver the promise and our administration will ensure that the people’s aspirations are met in the best possible way.” Very nice to hear, but will our BN leaders in Sarawak listen to Najib? – The Broken Shield

Do having degrees make a person better YB?

Does having a good educational qualification make you a better Yang Berhormat (YB)?

Deputy Chief Minister and deputy president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang (pic above) thinks so. So are many of us.

Introducing the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Malcolm Mussen Lamoh to the Batang Ai voters, Jabu said Mussen was a highly qualified engineer who had 25 years of experience with the civil service.

If BN could win the by-election, given Mussen’s qualification and working experience, he would be in a position to bring more development to Batang Ai, said Jabu.

Except for one or two Iban YBs who do not possess degree or diploma qualifications, the majority of them have. Now look at the constituencies that have been represented by them. Any dramatic development?

Even Jabu himself being a graduate in agriculture, why is there not much change in our agricultural development? We are still practicing subsistence farming and planting padi. Instead, Jabu wants to use his knowledge to plant ‘kepayang’, to distribute fish fry, vegetable seeds and ‘anak manoks’ and to can rambutans.

As Pro. Jayum Empaling said: “If that is all the Iban politicians have been doing and can do thus far for their constituents, then even an illiterate Iban person would have made a fine State assemblyman or parliamentarian because it does not take much to know how to distribute the annual grant allocations among the electoral constituents.”

What the Iban politicians should do is to find out the needs of the people and come up with a master plan to develop their own respective constituencies.

Discuss the plan with some experts, for example, with the Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) and present it to the State Planning Unit (SPU) or the Federal Economic Planning Unit (EPU) as the case may be for consideration.

What are required of our YBs are their dedication, commitment and sacrifice to help their constituents.

It is sad to see that some of the Iban politicians are only looking after their ‘periok nasi’ (pots of rice) and “takut” (scared) to fight for the rights of the people they suppose to represent.(Semua takut ke CM).

Now if our YBs are “takut” type and continue to practice the “traditional” attitudes of BN politicians, then is it worth voting for them? Think about it the voters of Batang Ai! - The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com