When The Rooster Crows -VIII

We are not Beggar

One of the best descriptions of the Bidayuh clan is “Soil Sloggers”. They work very hard to get supply for themselves without bordering what are their struggles and pains. Since born until they die, the same routine rotated year after year. In June, they start to clear jungle to raise crop. They cut trees in July and burn their farm in August and at in the same month they plant seeds. In September to December, they kill weed and harvest maize and cucumbers while waiting for the paddy grains to get ripe. Then, in April to May, the harvesting season will be in progress. At this time, the “Soil Sloggers” will evaluate their deadly effort by counting their harvest. Some get twenty sacks and some get less. It is much depending on the fertilizer and pesticide used to cultivate their paddy plant.

It is not an alien routine for me since me myself came form poor farmer family. I used to overnight at the paddy farm because most of the time we have to find a primary jungle to plant paddy. Based on the old folk’s tale, the primary jungle is more fertilize than the secondary jungle (bushes). Therefore, we have to fine a small piece of land at about 10 to 15 kilometre out of the village. The best way to increase production (cultivating time) is to overnight in the jungle and leave our home empty for months. During night time, we can go out for hunting or fishing to get protein source. Tapioca will be an alternative whenever we are out of rice. We lived in a small hut made of bamboo and palm leave weaved by my father and mother. My mother used to assemble bamboo trap to trap squirrels, hamsters and birds. This was my experience before my secondary school. I left that out since I stayed in barding and left the same routine to my father and mother.

I have missed such routine for almost 10 years and there are some folks practice the same routine at this moment of time. You can find them at Kampung Sapit, Kiding, Kakas, Bengoh and upper Annah Rais.

What I would like to say here is that, the Aborigines toiled very hard without complaining of their fate and future. Poverty is the best word for them (the farmers). They raise crops for their own supply and could not commercialise them due to worst productivity. They could not effort to have pesticide and fertilizer because they are expensive. “Kaum Peladang Bahagian” gives subsidy for registered farms under NCR lands through village head. They can only apply once a year at about 5 sacks of paddy fertilizer per approval.

I had an opportunity to meet this two men and woman who sell junk foods and water at a bus stop. They told me that they have to do such job instead of farming to get money since farming is not really satisfying them.

During my ride to Padawan, I got a chance to shot some picture of paddy farm “padi huma” which is ready to be burned. Next moth Kuching will get haze as it used to happen every year. What amazed me is that the government condemn jungle burning but never find a solution for those farmer especially to help them to re-plant crop at the same land or doubling the production so that there will be less burning activity. Yes, Indonesian farmers will burn their farms as well but we might reduce by not burning ours.

Faithful routine of the Aborigines

What is the best approach to doubling the production? It is still up to the government to help us to be productive. FELCRA and SALCRA is not the best answer since the income from working in an oil palm estate is lesser than wages of those who are working at construction site. That is why there are many Indonesian workers working at the estate because they do not mind to get paid RM 15.00 for every ton metric of oil palm fruit. Worst, it is not our ability to work until we die and get less pay on our very own mother land. The best way is let tem (FELCRA and SALCRA) screw our land and we are still remain as “Soil Sloggers”.

Email from Reader

I received this email from Aljazeer Tuguaw. Happy Reading!!

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Dear Sir, I refer to the report "Instigators jealous, bent on becoming leaders" by Jacob Achoi, in the Borneo Post, 26.7.2008.

It was reported that Alfred Jabu said that "the desire to become leaders while at the same time harbouring jealousy have made certain individuals from the local community associate themselves with opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to incite the people".

This is such a ridiculous statement. This is an old approach which doesn't work anymore. It is the desire NOT to have leaders like Taib and Jabu and the sycophants they surround themselves with that drives people to the opposition and if enough people (read voters) support such a move, the opposition may very well become the next state government of Sarawak.

There is no element of jealousy here, more like revulsion. Don't they get it? Who wants to be jealous of leaders like Taib and Jabu who steal from the people and the state they are supposed to lead and administer as a trust for the people?

Sarawakians do not need to be incited by anyone, least of all by Taib and Jabu themselves.

It was also reported that "Jabu said such individuals could not come to terms with the various developments brought about by the Barisan Nasional (BN), and thus chose to instigate the people to hate the government".

What real "developments" is Jabu talking about? Why is Sarawak, under BN rule for almost 45 years, still at least 25 to 30 years behind Malaya in terms of development?

Isn't it high time for new leadership to pursue real development for Sarawak? If the opposition can't do it when they manage to form the new government, they also risk being changed.

There is no need for anyone to instigate people to hate the government for there to be change.

People will feel it when their government is no longer a good government.

"Describing such actions as irresponsible, Jabu advised the people not to fall into the trap of this group of people but to remain within the BN".

Who is being irresponsible - a BN which is out of touch with reality and ignores the legitimate needs of the people or those who merely point out the shortcomings of such a government?

"I regret the action of certain individuals from the local community who opted to associate themselves with PKR and instigate the people to hate the government.

"So I want to advise the people, particularly those in the rural areas not to entertain such people," said Jabu, who is also Minister of Rural Development.

The people, especially from the rural areas, wish to advise Jabu that they will no longer entertain him and they will no longer tolerate under-development of Sarawak - especially its rural areas.

"Jabu pointed out that there were no reasons for the people to support PKR given the tremendous development brought by BN".

"Tremendous development"??? What a joke! You want to see really tremendous development, go to Malaya! Even in Malaya the people are rejecting the BN government because of its gross mismanagement, corruption, inefficiency, extravagance and waste.

"He also slammed the actions of such individuals, saying that their action was disrupting the existing peace and harmony in the state".

What about the actions of corrupt and extravagant leaders? Doesn't this disrupt the so-called peace and harmony in Sarawak even more? Why "so-called"? Because beneath the surface there is a long-suffering and seething populace who see the fruits of development being enjoyed and wasted by a few very rich leaders and businessmen and their families only. Jealousy? No, just rage at the people's trust being betrayed.

"The state and the people had enjoyed fruitful development under the politics of development brought by Taib, he said".

"He urged the people in Betong to continue supporting BN for continuous development".

Continuous development for whom, the people or just a few corrupt leaders and their cronies?

--
Al Tugauw
Sarawak Headhunter

Ass Hole News?

Damn the dam critic
By Puvaneswary Devindran
The Borneo Post Press, Saturday (26th July 2008)

Taib slams activist; says he should make careful study before opening his mouth

KUCHING: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud yesterday said the criticism directed at Sarawak’s 12 proposed hydroelectric dams was an ‘old tune’ played by someone ignorant of the state’s condition and its future direction.

He said the world was facing depleting energy resources, particularly fossil fuel, where for every four barrels of oil used, only one new barrel was found.

“The world has been trying to overcome this, and then someone in Penang comes up to sing the same old tune and criticise Sarawak without knowing what the condition here is like.

“He (critic) should make a careful study before opening his mouth,” the Chief Minister told reporters after opening the Sixth Wacana Pendidikan Islam at a hotel here yesterday.

Taib did not say who that ‘someone’ was but he nevertheless slammed the person and others for making an issue out of the whole thing when it was a non-issue in the first place.

He said that Mulu National Park would not be submerged with the building of a proposed dam in Tutoh as the park was located further away.

Environmental activists had claimed that the park, known as the ‘Jewel of Sarawak’ would be submerged if the dam were to be built, and in the process, it would lose its status as a World Heritage Site.

Besides Tutoh, the other 11 proposed dams are located at Ulu Air, Metjawah, Belaga, Baleh, Belepeh, Lawas, Limbang, Baram, Murum and Linau rivers.

More...
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Its my first time reading a harsh title in borneo post press after Sarawak Tribune was forced to close-down due to harsh attempt to play with the "prophet". My very question is why the editor allowed such harsh word to be printed in the public media. It is something like blaming bloggers as the “subversers” and troble maker. Is this the best way to show how arrogant the chief minister is? Sime Dardy withdrew from SCORE project due to “costing” matter but it is not. Someone needs to spend the government’s fund to get rich and not to do EIA.

My second question is, why should we react to the activist childishly? They are activist and cannot do anything because they are always below the rule of law. That is why we sent Bruno to grave yard because he is just an activist and not more that that. One more thing. He is under the law. Normally, those who are under the law are always depressed by those who made the law. Now it seems to me that in Sarawak, we do not need to hear what other people say because we are more intelligent than them all. Thus, we blame those who try to give their opinion and suggestion regarding to some issue. The people of Sarawak have never realized that they are living under Nazi party for more than 20 years. Next few years we may get Karadzic in the state house.

Let see what I found in Padawan though there is another raw water dam project in that area (Bengoh dam). As I rode along the gravel and muddy 100 years old Padawan Road, I feel that the Bengoh Dam project has no worth to the aborigines. The road is leaved “unseal” though there were thousand of “land breaking” ceremonies were made to lie to the aborigines. The asphalt seal is now only from Tapah to Begu and Link-Road is left unsealed.

The oil Palm for worst facility. Good act of Jabu Numpang (NCR Goddess)

Yes, there is some “development” in that area but to some religion only. SALCRA oil palm was made to the Muslim in Belimbing and Timurang and some at Rayang. The develoment is no fair to those non-muslim aborigines. Do we have to convert to get four or five oil palm trees? Which law or ordinance those tell us to convert to get some government project? It is applicable to those “minister” to get “datuk” titleship.

The new kingdom of Heaven? We are not infidels. We were brothers & sisters

We are not just being fooled but marginalized due to the religion and racial issue. The government is making the geratest kingdom of religion by marginalizing the aborigines. Not only that, we are intimidated by the chief minister if we vote oppostion. We know that he has everything, from a witch until an assassin and you can name it. How can an old man rule such in a very long time if he does not have any extra strength?

Road to Heaven made by Barisan Nasional

We, the aborigines are more important than activist and we are not the slaves to the state because we owned the state. The Bengoh dam must give us return because NCR land shoud never be converted to State land and we deserved development ahead of such "project".

Teng Bukap Clinic

The Greatest Lost to The Aborigines
I was riding to Kampung Pelaman Dunuk Yesterday and made a stop at Teng Bukap Baazar for a while. Manage to snap few pictures of the "burned" clinic. Here are the pictures. Will write more soon. A lot of works to be done today. Have a wonderful day.

Really?

Demolition of squatter houses proper: Masing

KUCHING: The demolition of houses along the Bintulu-Bakun Road and Sungai Asap is a non-issue because the structures were illegally erected on state land, Minister of Land Development Dato Sri Dr James Masing said yesterday.

“They (the houses) have been demolished because that area, I believe, has been compensated and taken over by the government. So the native customary rights (NCR) on that land have been extinguished.

“Once your rights have been extinguished in that area, you cannot build houses on the land as it is no longer yours,” he told reporters after launching the new Suzuki SX4 Sedan 1.6 at Rhino Automart Sdn Bhd at Jalan Tun Jugah here.

Aware that the opposition might play up the issue for political mileage, he said the enforcement operation by the Land and Survey Department did not affect any house erected within Native Customary Land nearby.

“I hope Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) or Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen and members do not play up the issue. You cannot go against the law of the land. Whether you are in the government or opposition, you must abide by the law,” he said.

He pointed out that the state government had been fair in handling the matter, by giving ample time for the residents in the affected areas to move out.

“Effectively they are rural squatters and the government has to get rid of them because they are squatting on government land.

“I think they have been given ample warning, since about two years ago. The authorities in fact wanted to abolish the houses before election, but we told them to hold back first,” he said.

The Land and Survey Department, in a press statement issued Tuesday, said it was

compelled to carry out the operation also on Tuesday as the squatters had failed to comply with a Notice to Quit dated October 2, 2007.

The notice required them to vacate the state land within 30 days from the date of the notice.

Bintulu Land and Survey superintendent Ajmaen Superi, was also quoted in the statement as saying that the operation did not affect any houses erected within Native Customary Land.

Ajmaen also pointed out that the department and the district officers of Bintulu and Belaga had conducted a dialogue session on Nov 1, 2007 with the affected squatters.

A press release was also published in a local daily on Nov 8 by the Belaga District Office on the matter

The objective of the dialogue, he said, was to explain and clarify the status of the said land and the grounds of the enforcement.

Apart from that, he said officers of the department, with the assistance of the police, had visited each and every illegal house to advise and to inform the squatters to comply with the quit notice.

“Each and every action taken by the department with regard to this issue is within the ambit of power conferred thereunder by the Land Code (Cap 81),” said Ajmaen.

Masing was also asked on the condition of Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Sports Datuk Dublin Unting, who is now in a coma at Normah Medical Specialist Centre here where he was admitted following a stroke on May 21.

Masing, who is Parti Rakyat Sarawak president, said Unting who is the vice president in the party is in stable condition.

“It will take quite a while for him to recover. We hope and pray for the better,” he said.
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Is there any information on this??

Hulurkan Tangan Ringankan Beban - My First BM article.

English Version to be posted soon.

Sekali lagi saya ingin mengulas sedikit mengenai “perdebatan terbuka” antara Menteri Penerangan dan Anwar Ibrahim mengenai isu minyak. Walaupun pada hakikatnya, Anwar Ibrahim sentiasa mendapat kenyataan dan soalan yang berbentuk “personal attack” dari Sabery, belaiu tetap membincang focus utama debat iaitu, Esok Jadi PM turun harga minyak RM 0.50.

Apa yang saya dapat lihat adalah dua perspektif berbeza yang jelas menampakkan perbezaan antara pemimpin berkualiti dan pemimpin yang salah dipilih oleh rakyat Malaysia. Pertamanya, ulasan yang diketengahkan oleh Sabery lebih kepada “personal attack” dan memandang rendah kredibiliti seorang pakar ekonomi dan “bekas” menteri kewangan. Kedua, isu yang diperdebatkan adalah bukan lagi soal harga minyak dan penderitaan rakyat tetapi lebih kepada mencari salah Anwar Ibrahim.

Makanya, debat malam tadi adalah satu kegagalan pihak kerajaan untuk menegakkan polisi ekonomi negara bagi membantu penduduknya. Ekonomi negara dijangka tenat berikutan harga minyak dan bahan mentah lain. Ini juga termasuklah Amerika Syarikat dan eropah yang sedang resah. Namun begitu, kerajaan menggunakan fakta ini untuk memutar belitkan pemikiran rakyat bahawa kita kena mengikut trend harga minyak global. Tiada apa-apa idea yang dapat diketengahkan oleh kerajaan untuk membantu meringkan beban rakyat. Adapun alasan-alasan yang diperkatakan hanyalah sebagai kelentong untuk memancing atau lebih baik kita katakan untuk mengemis sokongan rakyat.

Penstrukturan subsidi minyak bukanlah satu bentuk bantuan kerajaan tetapi menjadi beban berat kepada rakyat. Adakah sistem subsidi minyak kita selama gagal? Tidak. Kita mendapat subsidi minyak termasuklah syarikat penerbangan, nelayan dan pengusaha pengangkutan awam. Gagal. Kerana sistem subsidi tidak dipantau sepenuhnya dan berlakunya penyeludupan diesel dan petrol keluar negara. Makanya, sistem yang kita ada tiada ralatnya, cuma penguatkuaannya longgar dan diambil ringan. Rebat RM 150-RM500 setahun untuk pemilik kenderaan peribadi bukanlah satu cara yang baik kerana ia tidak mencukupi memandangkan RM 500.00 hanyalah cukup untuk 3 hari.

Ya, rakyat tidak seharusnya bergantung sepenuhnya kepada kerajaan untuk subsidi minyak. Pada saya, saipakah golongan yang layak menerima subsidi sebelum ini? Menurut Dasar Ekonomi Baru, ianya diberi kepada golongan bumiputera Melayu sahaja, dan maka dengan itulah MAS mampu memulihkan pendapatannya walaupun ada orang menjual sebotol air mineral kepada MAS Catering dengan harga RM 40.00 sebotol. Kos bahan api yang ditanggung oleh kerajaan bukanlah satu pelaburan kepada MAS tetapi senagai rasuah untuk membenarkan sesetengah pihak membuat “perniagaan” dengan MAS. Tidak hairanlah Idris Jala terpaksa melelong bangunan MAS di Subang untuk membayar baki harga air mineral yang tertunggak selama beberapa tahun. Bijak kan?

Rakyat sekarang ini terdesak kerana kos hidup yang tinggi berikutan harga minyak, makanan dan komuditi. Jenayah semakin berleluasa khasnya pecah rumah dan kecurian kabel dan besi kerana hidup semakin susah. Malah, pegawai-pegawai kerajaan “terpaksa” mengambil rasuah untuk “menyara” keluarga. Maka, hakikatnya haram sudah menjadi halal buat masa yang terdesdak ini.

Kita dijanjikan tiada kenaikan harga minyak dan barang-barang seminggu sebelum pilihan raya (flip). Pada minggu selepasnya, Barisan Nasional menaikkan harga minyak dan beras (flop). Maka janji 7 hari Barisan Nasional untuk membantu rakyat adalah satu pembohongan jika dibandingkan dengan janji 100 hari kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat yang selalu menjadi “kritikan” kerajaan Barisan Nasional. Kononnya, Pak Lah dan Najib telah memotong 10% daripada elaun keraian untuk membantu rakyatnya. Ini bukanlah penyelesaian kerana RM 0.20 tidak mencukupi untuk lebih 6 juta penduduk Malaysia. Apa yang menjadi persoalan ialah kenapa semua menteri-menteri dan wakil-wakil rakyat Barisan Nasional tidak menyokong usaha ini terutamanya di Sabah dan Sarawak?

Kita bukan sahaja mengalami krisis ekonomi kerana kenaikan harga minyak tetapi kehilangan pelabur asing. Penutupan dua kilang di Pulau Pinang bukan satu kesalahan kerajaan negeri tetapi kerana bebanan kos operasi yang memberi kesan negatif kepada produktiviti. Begitu juga dengan syarikat-syarikat lain, juga mengalami tekanan kos operasi. Ini sungguh mudah untuk diterjemahkan. Contohnya kita menjual ayam kepada orang-orang di taman perumahan dengan harga RM 6.00 se-ekor sebelumnya, maka hari ini kita terpaksa menjual harga tinggi kerana diesel untuk van kita sudah mahal. Maka, tidak mustahil kita akan hilang beberapa pelanggan kerana ayam kita sudah naik harga RM 8.00 se-ekor dan orang sudah mula makan jeruk ikan dan budu yang jauh lebih murah. Nikko mengalami beban kos operasi dan terpaksa gulung tikar kerana dasar kita untuk menarik pelabur asing juga telah berubah. Kita mengenakan kos yang tinggi dan ditambahkan dengan cukai, maka kita melihat orang Jerman dan Jepun membungkus beg dan balik kampung. Maka tidaklah elok kerajaan BN menyalahkan kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang dalam hal Nikko tetapi mengkaji apakah pendekatan yang terbaik untuk menyelamatkan para pelabur asing di Malaysia. Di Kuching, Western Digital (sebelumnya KOMAG) tidak lagi menggaji para diploma tetapi menggaji para lepasan SPM memandangkan kos buruh yang mahal. Kita tidak sepatutnya hairan esok lusa kerana Western Digital akan mengaji pekerja Bangladesh dan Indonesia seperti apa yang ada di ladang-ladang dan tapak pembinaan.

Persoalannya, adakah kerajaaan Barisan Nasional sanggup berkorban untuk membantu rakyat atau memperketatkan polisi-polisi yang idak menguntungkan terutamanya penstrukturan semula subsidi, perlaksanaan projek mega (Koridor dan Jendela) yang pada masa ini dan belum sesuai untuk dilaksanakan. Apa gunanya membina istana di tenggah kampung sekiranya rakyat menduduki rumah setinggan? Ia juga harus menjadi perhatian kerajaaan Pakatan Rakyat untuk mendapatkan kepercayaan rakyat terhadap dasar ekonomi negara yang nampaknya berat sebelah dan tidak teratur. Kerajaan sebaik-baiknya cuba mencari jalan alternatif untuk membantu meringankan beban rakyat seperti menurunkan kadar tol. Tol boleh dibayar sehingga beratus-ratus tahun sekiranya kos dikenakan kepada pengguna adalah rendah.

Adapun kerajaan hari ini, tidak lagi kerajaan untuk rakyat tetapi untuk ahli politik dan dan para ”peniaga” bumiputera. Kemimpinan Abdullah dalam menanggani isu ekonomi negara menjadi satu kepayahan kerana beliau berkelulusan aliran sastera dan buta ekonomi. Maka dengan itu, kita tidak memerlukan lulusan sastera untuk membuat lejar kerana duit sentiasa bocor dan akhirnya akaun kita tidak seimbang atau ”seimbang bersebab”.

Short & Simlpe

What was happening last night between Anwar Ibrahim and Sabery is something like asking a innocent mouse to enter the dent of a cat. Please look at the picture below. Why don't Syed Hamid Albar himself face Anwar since he has a very solid idea on the oil price increment or best person is Dollah himself?

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My concern are:

1. I ride a EX5 motorbike and spend RM 7.00 per day to top-up my petrol. In a month I spend RM 210.00 or more. How about those who drive Proton Savvy (Malaysian Petrol savvy Car). It must be burdensome. I will get RM 150.00 petrol rebate for a year whereby some of the politician are smuggling diesel to somewhere else and making million ringgit. And....the ministers do not have to pay even single cent for a gallon of petrol. All "tanggung halal" by government. It that fair?

2. We are blaming Iraq war and Iran next threat to be the cause of the hiking price of crude oil. Well, Malaysia is fine and no body wanted to attack. Why should we give such silly reason? We are producing oil and in fact, we are going to middle east to dig oil.

3. The hiking price of food such as rice and chicken is because of Targis Strom in Irrawaddy. Hehe. We can raise our own paddy and chicken with the vision of Industry of Agriculture & Agro Base Industry Ministry. We should focus on our own supply in steads of importing from Thailand and China and Cambodia. We spent million to import rice and meat but our land is untouched. Once again, Sabery talked nonsense.

Summary,
We have a lot of reasons to defend the wrong doing of government and its cronies. SCOMI (the GLC or Dollah link company...) stock price performance is going well since the price of crude oil is "steady" (USD 140.00 per barrel). PETRONAS announced its profit even though the spent a lot for exploration and to "feed the government". Reason to raise the petrol price is due to high exploration price and global market. BUT, these two crooks did not loose even 1 cent for its operation's cost!! The issue of heritage is not a good and appropriate topic to debate since it is just a personal attack to anyone in the parliament.

Oh God...I am talking like a mad again. Am I??

Good Bye Clinic Teng Bukap

Teng Bukap loses sole clinic to fire
By Gary Adit
The Borneo Post Press, Wednesday (16 July 2008)

All medical equipment destroyed in 12.35am blaze

KUCHING: Eight villages in Teng Bukap are now without any medical facilities after the only clinic serving the area was razed to the ground in a 12.35am blaze yesterday.

The government health clinic in Padawan was built in 1981.

The fire was believed to have started from the clinic’s administration office and was first noticed by villagers who immediately alerted the clinic’s sole medical assistant, three nurses and an attendant staying at the quarters nearby.

According to a villager, four men, including two police officers, used fire extinguishers in the clinic to try put out the fire but were unsuccessful as the flames had already spread to the ceiling of the double-storey wooden structure.

A team of firemen arrived at the scene around 1am but efforts to douse the blaze were hampered by low water pressure, forcing them to source the water from a nearby stream.

By the time the fire was brought under control, the clinic and all its equipment were destroyed although those at the scene were able to rescue a government Landcruiser after smashing its window to release the handbrake and pushing it to safety.

The Borneo Post was told that the 27-year-old clinic had only recently been renovated and had been given a fresh coat of paint in addition to a new perimeter fencing. It was also learnt that a government rest house in the area will be used as a makeshift clinic for the time being.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated and no injuries were reported.
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The Clinic is said had been renovated and had been given a fresh coat of paint. What is going wrong?? Payment to the sub of sub contractor?? Up to you to figure out.

Land for the Landless? When??

Dayak leadership stands up for Native Customary Rights
Taken from Bruno Manser Foundation Website

A senior Dayak state minister spoke out about the uneasiness and insecurities the Dayaks in Sarawak are feeling regarding their lands and their rights to it.

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president and state land development minister James Masing speaking after the party's supreme council meeting in Miri over the weekend, said there was a need to clarify once and for all the Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands and state lands.

"We like the government to consider because our party is rural-based so land will be an issue."

All of the party's elected representatives, except one, attended to discuss the NCR as a main agenda item on Saturday.

It is learnt that Dayak members have spoken of their growing concern about threats to the future status of NCR lands, especially with the opening up of more lands for commercial oil palm plantations and, tree planting and harvesting schemes throughout Sarawak.

There has been increasing conflicts between oil palm and timber companies and NCR land-owners comprising mostly Dayaks such as Iban, Orang Ulu and Bidayuh communities.

There are now nearly 200 litigation cases by NCR land-owners pertaining to lands claims and damages to crops.

Aware of Pakatan's ploy

Masing announced that his party would set up a task force to look into issues related to NCR lands as it has become a hot topic raised by Pakatan Rakyat and other opposition parties.

More...
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The NCR Land issue has becoming a debut between all parties in Sarawak. If you ask SUPP about it, perhaps Riot will give you a very good approach to get your piece. How about if you ask Tiki Lafie then? He will ask you to support SPDP to get your piece too. This issue of NCR land has no end if we, the aborigine living under Barisan Nasional and PBB or SPDP or PRS or SUPP. It is nothing at all. In facts, SNAP and PBB themselves have failed the aborigines by awarding those land to the Chinese as the award for quitting communist party. The truth is that all those land along Tapah to Serian were owned by our forefathers. That means, the NCR land is not a solid propaganda to ask for support to PRS. Unless they can prove it by telling “Dollah” that the NCR land must be granted to the aborigines.

What went wrong actually? Since independent, when the British handover the government to Malaya where we have only ordinances and NCR rights. Somehow, all supreme rights of the “Malay” became more extreme than the Sarawakian’s right to their mother lands, fruit trees, crops and poultry. Bong Kee Chok was awarded a very big land once he quitted communist party. That was awarded by Tunku Abdul Rahman and Rahman Yakub. Where were the “Dayak” at that time? Coward!!

Now, the White Hair has control to the “NCR” lands and state land. You can fine quarry everywhere and not least ugly huts of the aborigines. The politicians have logging lots and quarry but not the rakyat, the aborigines. Why this happened? Because we do not have the land title. We are now become a trespassing to our own land. We cannot produce crops because SALCRA, under Jabu’s command has authority to every piece of land. We cannot raise paddy anymore because the state lands are not our but own by politicians.

I believe that the effort of PRS to air this issue will be in vain since we cannot talk to Jabu and Taib about this. We can persuade them to cut down threes and planting palm oil at out area but asking for land title. The time is now for the aborigines to be awakened by the foolishness of the political party. They must wake up from their long sleep or else they will become intruder to their own mother land. The fact is that, we, the Aborigines in Padawan do not have the land title.

When can we have it?? Masing!

Gawai Carnival REDEEMS 2008

In conjunction with Gawai Dayak celebration, the Association of Research and development of Singai. Sarawak (REDEEMS) will hold “Gawai Carnival REDEEMS 2008 from 21-29.6.2008 at REDEEMS Centre, Jalan Apar-Segong, Singai, Bau, Sarawak.

This year’s celebration will include, among others, gawai rituals, traditional food, music & games exhibition, demonstration and sales of handicrafts, cultural troupe performance from various Bidayuh groups, Bidayuh maiden beauty contest, Bidayuh language public speaking contest- from various dialectical zones, Bidayuh Traditional Food cooking contest and children colouring contest. Different resident bands will also feature nightly, plenty of food stalls and music.


Gawai Carnival REDEEMS 2008
Venue : REDEEMS Centre, Jln Apar- Segong, Bau, Sarawak
Date : 21 to 29.6.08
Time : 9.00 am to 12.00 pm
Official opening : 28.6.08 @ 7 pm by YB DPTS Dr Alfred Jabu.
Official closing : 29.6.08

More Here!!

Merge??

Don’t fear merger, says Mawan
By Ting Tieng Hee, The Borneo Post Press,
Thursday (10th July 2008)

Proposal to merge SPDP and PRS should not alarm any party as it has good intentions: President

KUCHING: The proposed merger of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) should not alarm any party, said Dato Sri William Mawan Ikom.

“Nobody need to fear about the proposed merger of SPDP and PRS as we are in for good purposes and intentions,” the SPDP president told reporters at his office at Bangunan Baitulmakmur in Petra Jaya yesterday.

He said SPDP, as a multiracial party, was committed to be always loyal, friendly and a team worker as far as unity in the country and unity in the government was concerned.

Mawan said the merger was a serious effort and something that was broad-based and a long-term planning to consolidate not only BN component parties in the state but also the Dayak community.

“We have given a very thorough thought into this merger as a party and that’s why we put a very solid and deep commitment into it long time ago by forming our committee which is headed by our deputy president and a lot of senior members,” he added.

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Pak Lah's new ultimate pet

Though I am not a very brilliant political analysis, there is one thing that reminded me on the unity of the aborigines. In his book, “The Broken Shield” the writer told that the aborigines have faced several failures under one political party. First, SNAP was told to be the answer to the aborigine’s unity but was not. Then Pesaka made a very substantiate political manifesto to be the aborigines’ help but Rahman, Taib and Jugah made it as the business opportunity to accumulate wealth. The aborigines were united firmly under one party since many years. The sub-party is PBB and another sub-party is PBDS. These subs were merged to form one political entity for the aborigines.

After PBDS faced a very shame crisis between “sifu” and “apprentice”, the aborigines have to accept the fact that thay cannot unite themselves under one “dream” party. SPDP and PRS were form to prove that the aborigines have no gut to appose their fellow aborigines. As I always say, “if there is one aborigine, there is one political party and if there are many aborigines, there are many political party”. Almost the same to Indians and Chinese where there are many version of “separatist” among them. That is why they are marginalized because they cannot accept unity but have to separate to gain wealth and titles.

The aborigines should not merge to be another “brotherhood of underdog” to Pak Lah. It is not a threat to PBB or SUPP in general but another threat to the aborigines themselves. I do not see any goodness from this merging proposal unless Mawan and Masing can prove that they are good two Iban leaders. We have seen how Moggie was made a living sacrifice at the Ming Court Hotel and someone told that “he” is innocent from such accusation of money politic. That was a very good back stabbing work of the Iban to be a paramount leader among the tribes of aborigines.

Yes, I know that we cannot join PBB because of so many issues. Taib could not accept the aborigines because Melanau and Malay are dominating the party. There should be no such thing so called “kacau daun” in PBB. If Barisan Nasional care for the aborigines, Pak Lah should give us an advice to be under one political party and not another big “running dog”. Of course, we cannot be in one political party because we will be left behind in term of bargaining power and distribution of wealth. But, have Bengoh receive something from SUPP instead of Kampung Tun Abdul Razak? I went around some of the villages under Riot constituency and there are many wooden houses and dusty road too.

Someone is telling me that Manyin is a very great leader and not a traitor. Well, tell me if he can bring all the Bidayuh under PBB or elase we can called him as father of running dog. Yes, I do not know much about politic as what some of you may think of. I have my eyes to see what is going on with the aborigines and have ears to listen to their grief. The ting is that, I am not a liar to the aborigines but not to merge them to be another running dog!!

Pick of The Week

Ghost of The Nation.

Taken from che det blog

THE APOLOGISTS

1. At a press conference called to explain about the police report on judge Ian Chin, a Western reporter blamed me for the authoritarian rule of Prime Minister Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

2. It seemed that he had inherited this behaviour from me. And she suggested that I was worse than Dato Seri Abdullah.

3. The Western press and my detractors among the opposition and certain members of the local press had of course labelled me a dictator when I was Prime Minister.

4. Labelling is one way to destroy the image of a leader and to reduce his popularity.

5. Lee Kuan Yew labelled me "the Malay Ultra" and the Chinese in Malaysia were shocked when I was named the Deputy Prime Minister by Tun Hussein. They thought I would be dispossessing them of their wealth and rights in favour of the Malays.

6. But soon after I took office they changed their minds and became very supportive. Before I stepped down the Chinese electorate ensured that I got the 2/3 majority in 1999, the last election over which I presided.

7. But the Western journalists prefer to retain their own fiction about my being a dictator, my anti-Chinese feelings and my being corrupt and favouring my cronies. Now their journalists would read these old reports and presume that they were God-given truths. They never ever do any real research. And so every time I criticise the Abdullah Badawi regime, they and the local Abdullah apologists would rebut by saying that I was worse when I was Prime Minister.

8. In particular my alleged authoritarian management of the party and the Government. What they ignore is the fact that during my Presidency of UMNO, other leaders were not afraid to challenge me.

9. Dato (now Tun) Musa Hitam, my first Deputy resigned from his position in the Government and the party. I was naturally angered by his action. But the Supreme Council of UMNO decided to send a delegation to appeal to him to come back. I did not oppose this move, and accepted his decision to return as Deputy President of UMNO but not as Deputy Prime Minister.

10. I had to appoint (Tun) Ghaffar Baba as Deputy Prime Minister.

11. Then Musa persuaded his arch enemy, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to contest for President against me while he contested for Deputy President.

12. The two were supported by (Dato Seri) Abdullah Badawi, (Dato Seri) Syed Hamid Albar, (Tan Sri) Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, (Dato Seri) Rais Yatim and many others. They went around the country to persuade UMNO divisions and members to dump me and elect them at the UMNO General Assembly.

13. I did not stop them from campaigning although they made scurrilous allegations against me. UMNO members were not prevented from attending campaign meetings held by them. It is believed that money was used to persuade UMNO delegates to the General Assembly to vote for them.

14. In the event I just managed to win with a 43 vote majority while my running mate, Ghaffar had a 41 vote majority.

15. Tengku Razaleigh's supporters took this issue to court seeking to force a new election. The court decided that UMNO was an illegal party. I had to re-register UMNO as New UMNO, UMNO Baru. Tengku Razaleigh formed a new party which he called Semangat 46 or Spirit of '46 (the year UMNO was formed).

16. Both parties tried to attract the members of the former UMNO. UMNO Baru (New UMNO) gained the most number of the former members and new members.

17. Dato Seri Abdullah opted to join UMNO Baru. Even though he supported Tengku Razaleigh I did not stop him. However I did not appoint him as a Minister.

18. Semangat 46 did badly in the General Elections in 1990 and again in 1995. Tengku Razaleigh dissolved the party and rejoined UMNO. I did not bear a grudge against him. His colleague Dato Seri Rais Yatim was reappointed a Minister.

19. Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi contested for membership of the UMNO Supreme Council and won. At the next election he contested for Vice President and came in second.

20. After that I concluded that UMNO members wanted him and I reappointed him as a Cabinet Minister. I could not ignore the wishes of UMNO members. The party belongs to them, not to me alone.

21. He then went on to be made Deputy Prime Minister and was accordingly elected by UMNO Assembly as Deputy President.

22. All these things were possible when I was President of UMNO and Prime Minister. But the moment I stepped down I was not allowed to meet UMNO Ministers and other UMNO leaders and they were not allowed to meet me or attend any function where I spoke. This remains the directive to this day.

23. UMNO members who invited me to speak were called up by UMNO Menteri Besar and the Police and told to withdraw their invitation. After that UMNO branches stopped inviting me. They had to persuade NGO's to invite me so that the few brave souls among them could attend anonymously. UMNO Members of Parliament and State Assemblymen would not attend even the NGO organised meetings.

24. Invitations by universities are not allowed and a few who did had to withdraw their invitations.

25. When I requested to see Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak, the UMNO Deputy President and Deputy Prime Minister after the Election he said he had to get the permission of the Prime Minister.

26. After a long time when the Press asked if I had met the Deputy Prime Minister, I had to explain that I had not because the Deputy Prime Minister had not obtained the permission of the Prime Minister yet. When I was Deputy Prime Minister I never had to get the permission of the Prime Minister to see anyone. Neither had my four Deputies to ask permission from me. They were free to see anyone they liked.

27. After the Press reported my reply, the Prime Minister denied he did not give permission. Subsequently Dato Seri Najib invited me to see him in his house. I went and I found that he was not willing to go against anything the Prime Minister said or did. It was obvious that he was afraid of the Prime Minister. Why he is afraid I do not know. But all the Cabinet Ministers, Members of the UMNO Supreme Council, Divisional Heads are afraid of Prime Minister Abdullah. They were never afraid of me when I was Prime Minister.

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Rumors Have It?

Bloggers too to be blamed for rumours: PM

The Borneo Post Press, Tuesday (8th July 2008)

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants bloggers to stop speculating and spreading rumours on the Internet as this is another cause of the unsettled political situation in the country.

“I want to tell the blogs to stop all these as they are also responsible for what has happened. The best thing they could do is to stop,” he told reporters after holding several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the 6th D-8 Heads of Government Summit here yesterday.

The summit proper of the eight Developing Islamic Nations (D-8) is scheduled to begin in the federal capital today.

The prime minister was commenting on the current political situation in the country, which seemed unsettled since the last general election in March.

Yesterday Abdullah said he was aware that the people were fed up with the political bickering that is going on in the country and pledged to give priority to the needs of the people.

“Slandering has become more rampant. One no longer cares whether the accusations are true or otherwise,” Abdullah told Bernama on Sunday.

He said this in reaction to a front page report by an English language daily on Sunday which highlighted the reaction of the people and community leaders over the political exchanges in the past few months.

“Whatever the truth, the truth will come out…don’t worry about it,” Abdullah said yesterday.

Asked how the government intended to stop these rumours and allegations on the Internet, he said: “When the truth comes out, all these will stop, we will make sure of that.” — Bernama

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I did not know her. I swear in the name of Allah. I did not sodomized him. I will prove that I did not.

The Bloggers are blamed to spread rumors. By then, the lost 5 states to opposition are rumors? The Raja Petra detention for doing nothing is rumors? How about those news in main stream media? They (mainstream media) are now busying with Nikko in Peang and badly blame Guan Eng for loosing the investors. Before, Selangor was blamed for rearing pig inside the town. Now the “Barisan Nasional” is giving sweet to Nik Aziz by building east peninsular coast biggest oil tank.

In Perak, the logging activity could not be done at certain place because it will bring up to water pollution problem. But, the illegal logging at the Orang Asli villages was made legal.

We have been fed by liars and mind manipulation by the printed media and TV that belong to Barisan Nasional. As I watched news last night, Najib was standing beside Badawi as hi smiled at Badawi warning. Actually, there are no rumors in blogs. Tun Mahathir does not spread rumor in his blog. Yes, it is all about covering the cruelness of murders and rapers. Now they are save as Prime Minister has used police and laws to shut the people’s mouth. The best thing he can do is to clean the government and not blaming innocent bloggers.

The Step Children’s Grievance

What do Sabahans and Sarawakians want?
By James Chin, The Borneo Post Press (Friday, 4th July 2008)

EAST Malaysia is very much in the news lately. With more than a quarter of MPs coming from there, it is generally acknowledged that they were the key to Barisan Nasional’s continued hold on power.

Since March 8, MPs and other politicians from Sabah have grown more vocal about the ‘neglect’ of East Malaysia since independence, making subtle references to the possibility that they could easily switch their support to Pakatan Rakyat if the federal government does not resolve their grievances.

There are several main grievances and their resolution may not be forthcoming in the short term.

The first issue is the date of independence. In the peninsula, independence is often taken to be 1957 when self-government was put in place. In East Malaysia, they see the proper date of independence as 1963 when the Federation of Malaysia was established.

Additionally, there is some unhappiness with the term Sabah and Sarawak ‘joining’ Malaysia when in fact Malaysia did not exist before 1963. For East Malaysians, Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya came together as equal partners to form the Federation of Malaysia. Using the term ‘join’ implies that East Malaysia joined an existing political entity as junior partners.

The second big issue is the federal government’s commitment to a set of state rights guarantees attached to the Malaysia Agreement, commonly referred to as the ‘20 Points’.

Among the key points were:

• Islam’s status as the national religion was not applicable to East Malaysia;

• Immigration control was vested in the state governments;

• Borneonisation of the civil service would be a high priority and English can be used as an official language;

• No changes to the ‘20 Points’ guarantees can be made without the agreement of the Sabah and Sarawak state governments. A clause was inserted giving all the parties the right to review the 20 Points after 10 years, ie, 1973.

• The natives of East Malaysia would be on par with the Malays and other indigenous groups in the peninsula, ie full Bumiputera status.

Taken as a whole, the 20 Points, if read in their entirety, give the East Malaysian states considerable political autonomy. However, the public view in East Malaysia is that there has been considerable dilution of the 20 Points for the past 45 years.

For Sabahans, the issue of immigration control is widely seen as a joke given the large number of illegal migrants in the state. Depending on who you talk to, the number of illegals in the state is between 1-1.5 million.

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It has been many years the “Malay” has neglected the grievances of the Sabahans and Sarawakians. The “denial of service” attitude is the only way to hold the angered step children. Though Kelantan is secured by PAS politically, the “Malay” government still put their wide eyes at the state. He same happening to Pulau Pinang, Selangor, Kedah and Perak too as there are now the lost treasure of the pirates.

What was going wrong with Sabah and Sarawak? We have to put a little bit blame to those who were money greed. First, we should put Tun Jugah as the non-schooling “tuai rumah” for selling Sarawak to Abdul Rahman through out special agent, Cobbold Commission. He was then given a large scale of logging concession together with those who agreed to sale the land of hornbill. Sarawak was sold as cheap as a plate of dinner meal and a night stay in a cheap hotel in Malaya. Now, Sarawak has lost it oils and timber to UMNO in order to be saved from “communist” attack and Indonesian “confrontation”. We should not join Federation of Malaysia if we love the people of Sarawak. That should be the first thought of Tun Jugah. Somehow, it as always right when people say money is root of evil. The Aborigines, is now have no right to their mother lands ad they are declared as “stale land”. There will be no an Iban chief minister as the “ Malayism policy” allowed only “muslim malay” to rule over the state. Though Sarawak has less problem with illegal immigrants, most of the MPs are not appointed because they are not “Malay” though they are converted to muslim in order to enjoy the “Malay” supreme special rights. Though there will be more money to be added soon, Sarawak will never get the right answer from Badawi on the future of the state.

The Sabahan has to bow down to Musa Aman as the mindless Tun Mustapha Harun sold Sabah to UMNO with 1 unit personal Boeing and houses. Donald Stephen was killed at Sembulan, Sabah as he asked for Sabah independent in Labuan due to oil royalty issue. Harris Salleh was then being enthroned to rule over vast tribes of Sabah with primary two certificates. He was gunned down by PBS, the aborigine’s party lead by Pairin Kitingan. The political scenario in Sabah has no happy ending as the state is facing poverty and illegal immigrant. They are facing economic struggle as they receive less form the federal government. The government (under Najib order) is reducing the number of illegal immigrants in Sabah after SAPP was said to give no-confident vote to Badawi. Although it is seem to be the persuasion to the Sabahan, the long time wound has not been cured as the government has no answer to demolish IMM13 documents. The Sabahans are loosing their lands to the local developer (FELDA) as they are intimidated with guns and spears. The saga will soon continue on as the Federal government is busy with Najib and Anwar clown show though Badawi admitted that there is no problem with the current government.

The Sabahan and Sarawakians have to think now or regret later. If there is a chance to get independent from “Malay” government, it is now to voice it out or else we are just crying inside our closet. In fact, these two states have lost a lot in order to be independent under the “Malay” present government. The time has come to Badawi to examine the Sabah and Sarawak royalty to Barisan Nasional. The 20-point memorandum must be uphold so that the step children can be console after a long years of grievances. If not, we better consult for independent and out of the “sovereign” UMNO country since we are staying inside a small toilet in a big mansion.

Pick of The Week

The Oil-for-Food scandal revisited

Malaysia Today

On Sunday, the BBC reported as follows:

The Iraqi government has said it will file lawsuits in US courts against firms and people suspected of illegally profiting from a UN programme. The UN oil-for-food programme allowed Saddam Hussein's government to sell oil in order to buy humanitarian supplies during UN sanctions from 1996-2003. An inquiry found that 2,200 firms paid $1.8bn in bribes to Iraqi officials.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement that the legal action was to recover damages and hold those who benefited from the illegal activity accountable for their actions. "The oil-for-food programme was subject to huge financial scandals by companies and others [who] conspired with Saddam Hussein to embezzle large sums of money through kickbacks, inflated prices and the supply of shoddy goods," he said.

A UN-commissioned inquiry headed by former US Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker found that 2,200 companies in 66 countries had paid kickbacks to Iraqi officials to win supply contracts under the $60bn (£30bn) programme. The Iraqi statement did not name the firms or people the legal action will target nor when and in which courts the suits will be filed.

Two years ago, this was what the BBC said:

More than 2,000 firms linked to the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq were involved in making illicit payments to the Iraqi government, a report says. It found Saddam Hussein received $1.8bn (£1bn) from firms including Daimler Chrysler and Volvo, and it also named individuals said to have benefited.

More than half of the 4,500 companies - from 60 countries - involved in the oil-for-food programme paid kickbacks or surcharges to the Iraqi government, Mr Volcker reported. The single largest bribe came from a Malaysian trading company, Mastek, which paid Iraq $10bn over a prolonged period, the report found.

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