S'wak land owners resist joint-venture 'land grab' ~ Malaysiakini

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/108602


Native Customary Rights (NCR) landowners from some 60 longhouses in the Lower Julau and Upper Bintangor areas in the Sarikei Division have registered their strongest yet objection against the inclusion of their plots as part of an oil palm plantation joint project by the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) and Sime Darby Plantations.

In a statement emailed to Malaysiakini, TAHABAS (Jaringan Tanah Hak Bangsa Asal Sarawak) or Sarawak NCR landowners network secretary Nyumbang Anak Barau said that the landowners who attended a dialogue session on July 9 had told LCDA and Sime Darby Plantations to exclude their land.

However, despite their protest, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between Sime Darby plantations and the LCDA to develop 20,000 hectares of NCR land.

The landowners from 109 longhouses were represented by the LCDA.

Sarawak's land development minister James Masing witnessed the signing of the agreement.

Nyumbang said: "I wish to reiterate our stand as the affected landowners that we are against the implementation of this NCR land development policy in our areas, where LCDA and Sime Darby respectively own 10 percent and 60 percent shares in a joint-venture company (JVC).

He said that the remaining 30 percent is supposed to be "owned by us, the landowners who have not agreed to this policy".

Major points of discontent

"We are not against NCR land developments through oil palm schemes per se, but we cannot accept this particular land development policy," he said and outlined the main points of disagreement.

He said: "We are not confident that LCDA can competently and impartially protect our rights in the JVC. We see LCDA has vested interests, and the mechanisms to be employed are not convincing enough to protect our rights;

Secondly, he said, the LCDA is being given an equivalent of "dictatorial power which is too strong for our liking, while our rights are unfairly and vastly diminished."

Thirdly, they do not trust LCDA, and “we are against LCDA becoming our Trustee. LCDA's records as known by us have failed to dispel our fear of not receiving fair bonuses and dividends later."

He said that so-called 30 percent share that is offered to may not eradicate poverty but "we may even become poorer by losing our lands forever after signing the trust deed".

Nyumbang said the current policy does not satisfactorily provide a guarantee to return those lands to their heirs upon the expiry of the joint venture after 60 years.

"This fear is genuine and not unfounded. And this is reflected by over 200 cases in our courts involving NCR lands. With such numbers, why are we not to worry?" he asked.

"Incidentally, the people from over 60 longhouses living in Lower Julau and Upper Bintangor and those along Kanowit-Julau-Durin road formed an action committee in 2007 to counteract an earlier attempt to extract timber on these same lands by a company issued with a provisional lease by the government," he said.

Loss of land

Nyumbang said that in the event that the joint-venture company fails to settle its debts by a certain period, the land owners will then be forced to use their land as collaterals.

"We could lose our land," he said and that working as a labourer earning a rate of RM15 per day or RM330 per month is hardly sufficient. It is well below the poverty line."

He said due to the absence of land titles, some of the idle NCR lands may not seem to offer them much profit. But they are a source of unpolluted vegetables, meat and fish in addition to giving them priceless building materials and other jungle produce.

"Moreover by safe-keeping these lands temporarily, we can therefore hope that one day our next generation with better education and means will be able to develop them better," he said.

Only a jaguh kampung?

How good are our Dayak YBs? Or are they only good as “jaguh kampung”?

These are some of the questions that have been asked many times by many people especially by those from the Dayak community.

During parliamentary sessions, our MPs seem to be mute and this is confirmed by none other than the Dewan Rakyat’s deputy speaker, Wan Junaidi when he said that our MPs did not take part in debates in Parliament and did not raise issues that have some bearing on the State. They were shy.

Our MPs are Mas Gading MP, Mambong MP, Serian MP, Sri Aman MP, Lubok Antu MP, Betong MP, Saratok MP, Julau MP, Kanowit MP, Kapit MP, Ulu Rejang MP, Selangau MP, Baram MP, and Bukit Mas MP.

Minus ministers and deputy ministers, we still have nine ordinary MPs who should take active part in debates and discussions on issues that concern Sarawak in particular the Dayak community.

They should highlight problems of poverty, lack of development, NCR land issues, social and welfare problems. But no, they sit down and listen to others talking.

When they return to Sarawak, they talk as if they own Sarawak. For example the MP for Lubok Antu shows that he is very active in his own constituency and every week we hear him saying something, advising people to support BN and promise this and that especially on small or minor rural development projects and a few thousand ringgit for JKKK. And the MP for Sri Aman is always silent and over shadowed by the State assemblyman for Bukit Begunan. And the MP for Kanowit is seldom heard. Even he failed many times to attend the PRS supreme council meeting.

What these MPs including State assemblymen should do is to draw up a development master plan for their constituencies in order to raise the incomes of the people and raise their standard of living. Put up a working paper and discuss with their party leaders and submit such plan to the State Planning Unit (SPU). Call for a press conference to announce your proposal and raise it up in parliament or in council Negeri. Continue to bark and if the government does not listen, then we know that this government is not fulfilling the “One Malaysia” concept. Then when election comes, the voters will know what to do (hopefully).

In this way, then you are people’s representatives who are prioritizing the people’s interests. But no, our MPs only talk big on small things that a non-YB can do. So it appears to me that these MPs want only to be heard by their own constituents (tauka minta dinga bini aja). They are more like, in the Iban saying, "Remaung di rumah and Raung di tanah". Only a "jaguh kampung". - The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Entulu under fire

THE PANEL SPEAKERS (left to right): Sidi Munan, Dr Elie Luhat, Datuk John Tenewi Nuek, Assoc. Prof. Dr Andrew Aeria (moderator), Mering Wan & Dr John Brian

Deputy Minister for rural and regional development Joseph Entulu was severely criticised at a forum today (11 July 2009) for suggesting that the term “Dayak” be dropped as its connotation was uncivilized, uncouth and low class.

The forum, should the term ‘Dayak’ be dropped, was organised by The Borneo Post in collaboration with the Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU).

Five panel speakers addressed some 150 participants, the majority of them were professionals, pensioners, businessmen and university students.

SDNU publicity chief Dr. John Brian Anthony said that the term “Dayak” was used anthropologically to describe the natives of Borneo.

He said: “It is sillier to suggest dropping the term ‘Dayak’. He must be drunk. Otherwise he is playing to the gallery of those who are against the term ‘Dayak’.

“It is our intention to bring all the natives together under the name of Dayak, but there are people who think that the Dayaks are threat. That is why Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) cannot be registered because it is considered a security threat to the nation,” he said.

SDNU which was formed in 1956 was considered as opposition organisation and because this organisation was being punished and no financial aids were given to it, he said, pointing out that the government gave funds to Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA), Orang Ulu National Union (OUNA) and other NGOs in order to spite SDNU.

It seemed, he said, that Entulu was given the job of bashing the Dayak community.

Next speaker was Sidi Munan, president of Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA), who said that the dropping of term to say the least was stupid and lack of understanding of history.

“I am wondering whether it is a government proposal. It looks like it. It may be slip of the tongue, but coming from the heart,” he said.

Sidi recalled an incident in 1967 in which someone suggested that the term ‘Dayak’ be dropped.

“And there is something more than meets the eye,” he said, and warned of the legal, political and cultural implications and consequences especially in respect of I Malaysia concept.

“There will be no gawai Dayak and the Federal Constitution need to be amended. Thus it is more good than harm to retain the name in this context,” he said.

Presenting his views next was Dr. Elie Luhat, deputy president of Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA).

He said: “If you want to get rid of the word ‘Dayak’ we are doing the work of others, that is, ‘ethnic cleansing’.

“And my advice to politicians is that if you proceed with the proposal to remove the word ‘Dayak’ you are creating problems and issues that will cause you to commit political suicide," Elie said.

Former Ambassador to Myanmar, Venezuela and Mexico, Datuk John Tenewi Nuek said that he was proud to be a Dayak and had never been humiliated for being so, pointing out that he traveled to several countries in his capacity as an officer of the foreign service.

He said that it was politically wise to retain the name as it provided a common umbrella for the various native groups to work and strengthen their political unity.

“Why should we change the word ‘Dayak’ which is already a brand name which gives us the best marketing strategy? Dayak is synonymous with Borneo.

“Dropping the name will be a step backward from the political, economic and cultural point of view,” he said.

Mering Wan from the Orang Ulu community said that he was proud to be a Malaysian, and prouder still to be a Dayak.

When the forum was opened to the floor, several participants spoke against the decision to change the term ‘Dayak’. - The Broken Shied

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Dr. John Brian Anthony, publicity chief of SDNU and owner of Dayakbaru.com receives a memento from Mr M. Rajah of The Borneo Post

State rights: Sarawak BN messed up ~ Malaysiakini

Taken from http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/107975

Sarawak PKR chief Dominique Ng rebuked the state's tourism minister Michael Manyin for saying that the basic rights of the state as contained in the 20-point Malaysia Agreement would be lost if Pakatan Rakyat were to form the government.

"It was the Sarawak BN that had partially traded off immigration powers as provided for in the 20-point Malaysia Agreement when the requirement for passports or filling immigration forms for Malaysians from other states coming into Sarawak was abolished in 2005," he said.

Ng, the state assemblyperson for Padungan, added: "Instead the state BN government is on record for having abused immigration powers of the state to stop opposition leaders from entering the state.

"In contrast to the BN government, a future PR government in Sarawak will ensure that the posts of director of labour, senior assistant director, assistant director and all of the senior labour posts will be filled by Sarawakians or long term residents married to Sarawakians.

"Labour interests in Sarawak can only be looked into by local officers with special understanding of labour matters," he said.


'BN abolished use of English'

Ng explained that the use of English as an official language in the state was a right clearly stated in the Malaysia agreement.

“It was abolished by the BN government in the mid-80s, much to the detriment of educational progress in Sarawak," he said.

The BN government, added Ng, had presided over the unfair distribution of natural resources.

Forty-six years after independence, the people of Sarawak are still being given 5 percent of the oil profits as royalty, though Sarawak is a major oil-producing state.

"Poverty in Sarawak is among the highest, and development of Sarawak is lagging far behind the rest of the nation," he said.

Manyin had warned the people that they stood to lose many of their fundamental rights as Sarawakians if they wanted change for the sake of change.

"I feel disturbed by some Sarawakians who call for a change of government and leadership using peninsula-based Pakatan Rakyat as their political platform.

"This is dangerous because it could result in Sarawak losing its rights as contained in the 20-point agreement when it helped to form Malaysia in 1963," he said.


Absurd claims by minister

Manyin added that some areas in the agreement were meant to give Sarawakians a head-start over their more advanced West Malaysian counterparts.

Meanwhile, Ng said Sarawak's representation in the federal cabinet had declined, especially the absence of representation from the minister's own Bidayuh community.

"Should he not first champion the interests of his own community at the federal level?

"He will not get anywhere trying to deflect the neglect of his own community by his absurd claims about a possible PR government in Sarawak in future," he stressed.

Ng assured that a future PR government in Sarawak as promised by Anwar Ibrahim, the PKR de facto leader, would respect the agreed rights of people of Sabah and Sarawak and bestow an improved level of state autonomy.

The PR government would also improve the representation of the two states in the federal cabinet by creating a second deputy prime minister to be filled by a Sabah or Sarawak Malaysian.

It will also improve the presence of officers from the two states in the foreign and diplomatic service; raise the oil royalty from the current 5 percent to 20 percent and provide a modern highway for Sarawak and narrow the development gap between East and Peninsula Malaysia.

"What is the BN government offering Sarawak in comparison?" Ng asked.

Deepest sympathy to Dr. John Brian

CONDOLENCE

Although I have smsed my message of condolence to Dr. John Brian on the loss of his mother, nevertheless I would like on behalf of The Broken Shield and its administrators to express our profound sorrow and deepest sympathy to him. May her soul rest in peace and may her spirit inspire you, Dr. John, to work harder and unselfishly for the vision and mission that you have set for – CHANGE WE MUST!!

And for those people like you, Dr. John, who dare to dream are the ones who will make their dream a reality. May God bless you.

Can Ibans play smart politics?

For the past 46 years of our so-called independence, the story is the same in all the 19 Iban majority state constituencies: complaints of no basic amenities like clean water, electricity, road and clinic not to mention major projects that can generate incomes and thereby uplifting their living standards. Instead their NCR lands are forcibly taken away from them and leased to big plantation companies.

And yet in every election, the Iban voters continue to vote for the “dacing” symbol after the BN has promised them all these, knowing that the same promises have been made over and over and again and again.

The famous quote by US President Abraham Lincoln that “you can fool some of the people all the time, and all the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time” cannot apply to the Iban voters. It appears that “all the Ibans can be fooled all the time” by BN and worst still through Iban representatives.

After each election, the BN government has forgotten them. No doubt one or two of our elected YBs did ask for funds for projects in their respect constituencies, but they are not forceful enough. Many a time their requests are ignored. In other words, the government does not really respect them because they are weak, fragmented and found in every political party. If Abdul Taib Mahmud or even Awang Tengah were to be an elected representative in the Iban constituency, that constituency would have certainly undergone tremendous development and progress.

For now, even if you are shouting at the top of your lungs, nothing will come out; nobody will listen. State assemblyman for Meluan Wong Judat’s speech during the recent Council Negeri meeting clearly shows the disrespect the BN has on the people.

He said: “The Rakyat in my constituency are thinking that the government only knows how to make promises come election time to fish for votes.” And what made him say such statement like an Opposition elected representative was the delay in the construction of the long-awaited Nanga Entabai-Rantau Limau ulu road and the 29km Pakan-Engkamop road had not been tar-sealed for a long time.

It was not just the roads, but also the construction of suspension bridges across Kanowit river (from Julau town to a Chinese settlement and another suspension bridge to SK Nanga Luan).These had not been implemented although the cost had been determined at RM1.8 million.

He said he had raised the issue with the relevant authorities numerous times and each time he asked the ministry concerned, the reply was that funding from the federal government was insufficient.

“We the people of Meluan have waited a very long time, our patience is running low. The projects have been proposed since the seventh five-year Malaysia Plan and it was brought forward to the eighth Malaysia Plan and then to the ninth Malaysia Plan. Now the ministry could bring it again to the tenth Malaysia Plan.

“I want to know in which Malaysia Plan can the government have enough allocation to finance these projects considering they have been proposed a long time ago (more than 15 years). I do not want my people think that the government is only making promises during election,” he said.

Wong who is Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party supreme council member also spoke of the people’s dilemma in 30 longhouses, individual houses, three primary schools and Nanga Entabai clinic which are in dire need of clean water and electricity supply.

Likewise, the Kapit MP Alexander Nanta Linggi has bemoaned the absence of funds for the construction of Kapit-Sibu trunk road. Nanta’s grandfather, Tun Temenggong Jugah made the call more than 40 years ago, and the call was echoed by his father, the two-term MP for Kapit and it was repeated by the former MP for Kapit James Jimbun. Now Nanta is the fourth generation of MP for Kapit and hs been making numerous requests for funds for the Kapit-Sibu trunk road. Until now the requests have fallen on deaf ears.

So what are the solutions in order that our YBs can be an effective voice of the people? Could form a new political party specifically catering for Iban interests of any help? Or better still if SPDP, PRS, SNAP and Pesaka can form a merger called Iban National Front?

Never mind about the comments against it, but just imagine the impact if our elected 19 state representatives can come together – segulai-sejalai-sepenemu - under one political banner from Balai Ringin, to Bukit Begunan, Engkilili, Batang Ai, Layar, Bukit Saban, Krian, Pakan, Meluan, Machan, Ngemah, Ketibas, Baleh, Pelagus, Tamin, Kakus, Sebauh, Marudi, and Batu Danau and 11 Iban MPs.

This is not a racialist move, but rather that we take care and put our own house in order first before thinking of others. Let charity begin at home.

We do not aim to put our man as chief minister; neither do we want to frighten other communities. Whoever is the chief minister be he Malay, Chinese or Bidayuh or Orang Ulu as long as long as he respects our rights of existence, respect our NCR land, be fair in terms of distributing development, business opportunities, in education, and so on, we will support him.

Certainly with the 19 elected representatives and 11 MPs our voice is not only strong, but they (the government be it BN or PR) cannot simply ignore us. In other words, we will play the role of “king maker”. – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

BN MP still awaiting Kapit-Sibu trunk road ~ Malaysiakini

Taken from http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/107585

Kapit MP Alexander Nanta Linggi has blamed the big gap in development between Kapit - located in central Sarawak - and other divisions in the state to the lack of infrastructure development.

"Although there is much talk about the digital divide between urban and rural areas, the development gap in Kapit is far more pressing," said Nanta, who is from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), a member of the BN coalition.

"It is still a big issue here and we are still talking about it," he said at the 16th installation-cum-award dinner of the Kapit Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

"Kapit had over the years given the BN government a strong mandate in the general election because of its pledge to implement development projects, including completing the road that was to link Sibu with Kapit," he said.

"Kapit's economy depends on infrastructure development. The pledges, therefore, must be fulfilled and any development meant for the division, must also include the road link from Sibu to Kapit," added Nanta.

He warned that Kapit would suffer greatly if logging, on which it depended for its wealth, slowed down.


Vast tracks of untapped agricultural land

Kapit could not depend on indigenous fish like ikan empurau, semah and tangadak or fruit trees like dabai and langsat as they were seasonal and unreliable.

"We must venture into other businesses such as crop planting to ensure steady incomes," he said, and stressed that the construction of a road would open up vast tracts of land for agricultural activities.

Nanta is not the only one who had been urging the government to build the Kapit-Sibu trunk road.

There were other leaders before him including his grandfather Temenggong Jugah who made a similar call more than 40 years ago when he was the MP for Ulu Rejang and as minister for Sarawak affairs.

Then came Nanta's father Leonard Linggi Anak Jugah, who was the MP for Kapit (1978 to 1986), and a relative, James Jimbun.

Nanta, who fought for the road to be included in the Ninth Malaysia Plan was said to be furious when there was no allocation for the trunk road in the plan.

Trunk road may remain an illusive dream

It appears that the promise will remain an elusive dream if the argument put forward by the state government is any indication.

According to sources close to the state government, Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud is not in favour of the Kapit-Sibu trunk road.

They reckoned the trunk road will turn Kapit into a ghost town because visitors will not spend the nights there as they do now.

Secondly, the road, they said, is not economically viable as there are no economic activities between Sibu and Kapit.

This is despite the fact that the road will pass hundreds of longhouses and thousands of hectares of fertile land.

Thirdly, the government does not want to deprive express boats and tongkang that ply between Sibu and Kapit of their business.
One other reason, according to the sources, is that the government wants to concentrate on upstream development, where in addition to the Bakun hydro-electric dam (above), there is the Murum and Baleh dams to be built.

Roads and other infrastructure worth about RM7 billion will be built between Kapit and these areas, which will form part of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy (SCORE).

Although Kapit may not be linked to Sibu in the near future, it will eventually be connected to the fast growing town of Bintulu.