BR1M – WHO IS POLITICISING THE ISSUE ?

MEDIA RELEASE 4 FEBRUARY 2012

BR1M – WHO IS POLITICISING THE ISSUE?

 

In recent days we have been assailed by newspaper and television reports on the BR1M aid, whether they be of BN politicians giving out the money to successful applicants, people pushing and jostling to check their applications and to collect their money, successful applicants praising and glorifying the ‘caring’ BN government, BN politicians insisting that the BR1M is a ‘sincere approach’ by the ‘caring’ BN government concerned about the welfare of the people and not a vote-buying tactic, and BN politicians castigating opposition members for politicising the issue.

It does not take much for the ordinary person in the street to think logically about this. In the recent months, schoolchildren were given RM100 each and college and university students RM200 in aid before the BR1M was given. Why is it that these forms of ‘caring’ monetary aid are only given during the election year and not during non-election years? Can we say that during those non-election years, the government was uncaring about the people? It is obvious to even the least skeptical of persons that this is an election ploy by the BN government no matter how vehement and incessant the denial by their spokespersons.  As commented by some, this is a blatant ‘Beli Rakyat 1M’ vote–buying exercise.

‘King’ Taib still spouting empty promises

What wealth can Taib Mahmud promise Sarawakians when the state has already been ripped off ?

KUCHING: When Abdul Taib Mahmud became Chief Minister on March 26, 1981, he promised he would turn Sarawak into the “richest state” in the Federation of Malaysia.

Sarawak then had plenty of resources – oil and gas, timber and land.

But today, 31 years later, Sarawak under Taib has become the third poorest state in Malaysia.

And the question here now is: where have the state’s resources gone and to whom?

At a Chinese New Year dinner to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the Federation of Kuching and Samarahan divisions’ Chinese Associations on Thursday, Taib again proclaimed that by 2030, Sarawak would become the “richest state” in Malaysia.

TAIB’S HOLLOW PROMISES AN INSULT TO SARAWAKIANS

MEDIA RELEASE

3 FEBRUARY 2012

TAIB’S HOLLOW PROMISES AN INSULT TO SARAWAKIANS

Today’s headlines in the Sarawak Tribune proclaimed the latest fanciful edict from Abdul Taib Mahmud: Sarawak will be the ‘Richest State by 2030’. This was the subject of his speech at the Federation of Kuching and Samarahan Divisions Chinese Associations’ 2012 Chinese New Year Gathering and 33^rd anniversary dinner.

The initial thought that springs to mind is this: Has he become so desperately short of ideas that he is recycling his speeches from 1981 when he became the Chief Minister of Sarawak? This is the sort of promise a fresh-faced dewey-eyed leader would make upon assuming office, when he is full of vigour and inspiration, and driven by visions of development and progress for his state and people. That Taib Mahmud should still be spouting his empty promises 31 years after taking office is proof that he has been and is a failure as leader of the State. Let him answer these simple questions: Why is it that you have failed to achieve this status for Sarawak in the 31 years you have been Chief Minister? What exactly have you and your ministers been doing all these years aside from enriching yourselves and your families? Why should we give you and BN another 18 years when you have failed us so badly for the last 31 years? How pathetic and how offensive to us that you should have the gall to try to keep on deceiving the people whom you have let down so abysmally.

Khairy Jamaluddin Vs Rafizi Ramli UKEC Debate: Vision 2020 [FULL]

UKEC's Projek Amanat Negara (PAN) held on 29 January 2012 featured the first public debate between UMNO Youth Chief, YB Khairy Jamaluddin, and PKR Director of Strategies, Rafizi Ramli. Taking on a Presidential-style format, the session "Public Policy: Vision 2020 -- Is Malaysia Moving Towards the Right Direction?" was civil and diplomatic as the two renowned as passionate voices for their party's causes squared off. They spoke and in several instances agreed on many issues ranging from Vision 2020, party policies, and race relations, to the rights of students to participate in politics, media access and freedom of assembly.

Projek Amanat Negara (PAN) is an annual initiative -- this year in its 9th instalment -- that serves as a platform for intellectual discourse between leading figures of the political, social and economic fields and Malaysian students. Examining various key issues relevant to the governance, development and holistic progress of our country, it has been hugely successful in previous years, even providing the impetus to organise the Malaysian Student Leaders' Summit (MSLS) in Kuala Lumpur annually. This year's conference hosted the likes of Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, YB Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Pang KheeTeik (Seksualiti Merdeka), Karim Raslan, and Zainah Anwar (co-founder of Sisters in Islam) among several others.

22 BN longhouse residents in a fix over land grabs

Hardcore BN supporters in 22 longhouses in Sarawak are in a dilemma after their NCR lands were re-assigned to private logging and oil palm companies without their knowledge.

KUCHING: The state Barisan Nasional government under Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud does not care whether native customary rights (NCR) lands belong to its hardcore supporters or not when it comes to issuing provisional leases on NCR land to Taib’s cronies.

As far as the government is concerned, anyone’s land is good for the planting of oil palm or for logging of timber.

A police report made by the residents of 22 longhouses in the Ensebang-Melikin area, who are hardcore BN supporters, is a case in point.

They are allegedly the latest “victims” of land grabs by the Taib-led government.

Call to set up Native Land Tribunal

Media Release

31 January 2012

Call to set up Native Land Tribunal

My colleagues and I welcome the suggestion by Tan Sri Richard Malanjum that a Native Land Tribunal be set up in Sabah and we call for the same to be set up in Sarawak. The statements made by Tan Sri Richard at the Symposium on Sabah Native Land Rights at Universiti Malaysia Sabah fortify the views expressed by us in our Media Release dated 16 January 2012 in which we expressed our support for the call by the Bar Council for a specialized Indigenous People’s Court to be established.

Whether it is called the Indigenous People’s Court or the Native Land Tribunal, the important thing is that this forum should provide an appropriate process to investigate land claims brought by the natives of the land. As pointed out by Tan Sri Richard, there are certain limitations to having such cases heard in Civil courts, such as the requirement of strict compliance with the Evidence Act, unfamiliarity of judges with native adat and culture, and lack of judges.

Crooked courts give ‘native’ titles to foreigners

Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum says that under the common law, Native Customary Rights (NCR) pre-existed any statutes and land laws.

KOTA KINABALU: Corruption and abuse of power in the Sabah Native Courts is so bad that even Chinese nationals from Hong Kong and Taiwan have managed to become “natives” in the state, according to Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum.

“There are citizens from Hong Kong and Taiwan who have been given the status of native (anak negeri). Judges of the Native Courts gave them the ‘Sijil Anak Negeri’. There are cases, it is a fact.

“Sorry to those Native Courts,” he revealed in his keynote address at a symposium on Sabah Native Rights: Issues, Challenges and the Way Forward held at Universiti Malaysia Sabah yesterday.

In the audience were several native court judges.

Mustafa wakili Pakatan jumpa SPR bincang p'raya adil

Mustafa wakili Pakatan jumpa SPR bincang p'raya adil

- Sila lihat tarikh artikel ni yang bertarikh sama dengan video sek Datuk T. Datuk Seri Anwar berada di mesyuarat dengan SPR.

Umno’s in trouble in Selangor | Free Malaysia Today

Umno’s in trouble in Selangor | Free Malaysia Today

More natives reporting ‘land grabs’

Within the next '10 years or less' several thousand natives in Sarawak are likely to end up being landless vagrants if the current government's policies continue.
KUCHING: Alleged land grabs involving native customary rights (NCR) properties by the Taib Mahmud-led government is reaching such “chronic” proportions that “in 10 years or less” there will be no native-owned areas, claims a prominent Sarawak NCR lawyer.

According to Baru Bian, an increasing number of cases of NCR land grabs are being reported from as far interior as Lawas in the north and Lundu in the south of Sarawak.

“From Lawas to Lundu, the NCR lands have been grabbed by the state Barisan Nasional government.

“It is so chronic that in 10 years or even less, the native landowners will have no more land left for them to farm and earn a living. And we are talking about several thousand natives being deprived of their land.

‘Boot out BN to stop RM500 mil dam’ | Free Malaysia Today

‘Boot out BN to stop RM500 mil dam’ | Free Malaysia Today

Muhyiddin says no to royal probe on NFCorp

The investigations by the police and MACC as well as the audit of  NFCorp’s books were adequate, said Muhyiddin. —File pic—File pic

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 27 — Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dismissed today calls for the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to probe the National Feedlot Corporation scandal.

He pointed out instead that the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) were capable of handling the matter.

The DPM also added that the government had appointed an accounting firm to conduct an audit of the company.
“I think these are sufficient to handle the matter,” he said.

Earlier today, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang urged Malaysians to pool their efforts and pressure the government into forming a royal commission of inquiry on the matter.

Calling the NFC a “grand conspiracy”, the veteran politician took pains in a statement here to list several reasons why the government — particularly key leaders like Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Muhyiddin and Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil — should face the book for their alleged involvement in the scandal.

Kenapa UMNO/BN Takut Ditumbangkan

Politicians and their love-hate affair with social media

Altantuya Killers' Appeal Up Soon

Sirul and Azilah come to court

Case reopens doubts about Malaysian justice system
The politically-charged appeal of two elite Malaysian police bodyguards who were sentenced to death two years and nine months ago for the 2006 murder-for-hire of Mongolian translator and party girl Altantuya Shaaribuu is due on Feb. 10 in Malaysia’s Court of Appeal.

The High Court trial, in which everything appeared to have been done ignore the question of who hired the two killers, stands in vivid contrast to the appeal filed by prosecutors on Jan. 19 in the case of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, in which everything appeared to have been done to bend the evidence to try to put the 64-year-old Anwar behind bars. As Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah pointed out in his not-guilty verdict, “the court cannot be 100 percent certain that the DNA evidence against Anwar was not contaminated.”

The two bodyguards, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, were to be paid RM50,000 to RM00,000 to kill Altantuya, according to a confession by Sirul which was never produced in court.

Can Putrajaya clarify whose assets were frozen, Kit Siang asks

By Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang pushed the federal government to explain the prime minister’s asset freeze announcement on the scandal-tainted RM336.64 million national cattle farming project.

The veteran lawmaker said that the government needed the clear the air over allegations of confusion between which NFC it had acted on, whether it was the national feedlot centre project, or the national feedlot corporation that it picked to run the operations.

“With the claim that the Auditor-General had confused the two entities, NFC and NFCorp, Malaysians want to know whether the freezing of assets announced by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak earlier this month was with regard to NFC or NFCorp or both,” he said in a statement today.

“Who can give this clarification?” Lim (picture) pressed.

The Ipoh Timor MP denounced NFCorp chairman, Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh for fussing over “semantics” instead of taking responsibility for a multi-million ringgit national project using taxpayers money.

Bakun dam to be much worse than PKFZ scandal

Kua Kia Soong
Nearly 50 years after independence for Sarawak, we see a comparison with the ‘Highland Clearances’ in Scotland during the 18th century when the highlanders were driven off their lands for capitalistic sheep farming.
The English did it with brutality and thoroughness through “butcher” Lord Cumberland and even obliterated the ‘wild’ Celtic mode of life.

What we have seen in Sarawak recently has the same capitalist logic, namely, to drive the indigenous peoples out of their native customary lands so that these lands can be exploited for their commercial value and the indigenous people can be “freed” to become wage labourers.

Thus, even though the accursed Bakun dam had been suspended in 1997 due to the financial crisis, the government still went ahead to displace 10,000 indigenous peoples to the Sungai Asap resettlement camp in 1998.

Well, there is a reason for this - the contract for the Sungai Asap camp had already been given out to a multinational company. After all, the whole Bakun area, which is the size of the island of Singapore and home to the indigenous peoples, had already been thoroughly logged...

All this happened while Dr Mahathir Mahathir was the prime minister. Wasn’t he a liability to the BN government then?

I was part of the fact-finding mission to Sungai Asap in 1999 and even then we could see the destruction of so many unique indigenous communities and their cultures, including the Ukit tribe.

There was only one word to describe what had been done to these indigenous peoples and their centuries-old cultures... wicked!

60% veteran tentera di Sarawak hidup miskin

Mereka tidak menerima pencen selepas menamatkan perkhidmatan.

KUCHING: Kira-kira 60 peratus daripada 13,550 orang bekas anggota tentera di Sarawak hidup di bawah paras garis kemiskinan, kata
Pengarah Jabatan Hal Ehwal Veteran (JHEV) Angkatan Tentera Malaysia Sarawak, Lt Kol Monday Juhid.

Mereka terdiri daripada veteran tentera yang tidak menerima pencen selepas menamatkan perkhidmatan, katanya kepada pemberita selepas majlis penyampaian bantuan kebajikan kepada anggota veteran oleh Panglima Tiga Briged, Brig Jen Hasagaya Abdullah di sini hari ini.

Monday berkata JHEV sedang menggiatkan usaha mencari dan mendaftar kesemua veteran tentera di negeri itu, namun setakat ini usaha berkenaan hanya berjaya mencatatkan 6,500 orang.

Was Salleh voicing Musa’s concern?

Luke Rintod | January 25, 2012
Umno Sabah chief Musa Aman is relying on his deputy Salleh Keruak's strategy to contain rival Shafie Apdal.

Last weekend in Kota Belud, the so-called birth-place of Umno in Sabah, the party’s state deputy president Salleh Said Keruak gave a stinging reminder to possible party-detractors.

He said those who were contemplating ditching Umno if they are not re-nominated in the coming general election, would be ‘ignored’.

Salleh, who is a local boy, issued this warning during a special meeting with a group of Umno’s Kadazandusun leaders from Kadamaian.

Kadamaian is one of the three state constituencies under the Kota Belud parliamentary constituency. The other two are Tempasuk and Usukan.

Taib snubs Najib’s man in Sarawak

Joseph Tawie
| January 25, 2012

Can wily veteran Taib Mahmud outwit the Umno 'immortals' in the game of political charades?

 
KUCHING: Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s absence from Sarawak United People’s Party’s (SUPP) Chinese New Year open house on Monday has further fuelled speculations of “Putrajaya’s hand” in Sarawak.

This is the second time that Taib has excused himself from a SUPP function organised by “agents of Putrajaya”.

He sent his deputy Alfred Jabu Numpang in his place. Also present at the open house was acting Yang di-Pertua Negeri Asfia Awang Nassar and scores of other VIPs.

Last December, he sent Abang Johari Tun Openg, Pesaka Bumiptera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president, to attend the party’s controversy-ridden triennial delegates conference (TDC), which was opened by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Taib is PBB president.

Taib Mahmud’s ‘no-show’ at SUPP’s CNY open house: Waste of time?

Theborneopost.com

The no-show by the chief minister at SUPP’s Chinese New Year open house this year should not be speculated as a reflection of his stand at the party’ new leadership, said president Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui.


The Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister stated that he had no qualms about Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud giving the open house at SUPP headquarters here on Monday a miss because the party had been advised that Taib would be represented by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang.

“We (SUPP) sent an invitation to the chief minister but we were told that he would be represented by Jabu.

“Whatever reason Taib has for not being able to make it this year, only he knows the answer.

Long house residents get injunction to stop timber extraction

Sulok Tawie


The High Court here has granted an interim injunction to restrain a timber company from encroaching into native customary rights (NCR) land claimed by long house residents in the Bintulu Division.


Judge Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang granted the injunction after an ex-parte hearing in chambers following an application submitted by counsel for the long house residents See Chee How, last Friday afternoon.

The full hearing of the application is scheduled to be held at the Bintulu High Court on Jan 30.

Village headman Nyipa anak Tingang of Kuala Pandan, Sebauh in Bintulu, representing himself and 63 other residents, claimed that they are the proprietors, occupiers, holders and claimants of the land surrounding Ulu Sungai Kakus and Ulu Sungai Merirai.

Najib will ‘override all laws’ if Umno loses

Awang Abdillah
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Umno have been reminded that Article 150 of the Federal Constitution empowers only the King to proclaim a state of emergency.


If Umno loses in the 13th general election, Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak may be left with one option, override all rules of the game and declare a state of emergency in accordance with Article 150 of the federal constitution to prevent the surrender of the political power to his adversaries.

Although it is hardly considered proper.

A government can only declare a state of emergency if there exists a genuine large scale threat to our national democratic political system, the state security, the country’s economic and financial system, public order and peace, racial harmony, the country’s transport and communications system and the likes such as from imminent attacks by saboteurs, destruction from natural calamities, people’s uprising, foreign military threats and war.

They are going to convict Anwar – that is certain !

From P Ramakrishnan, via e-mail

What wasn’t expected surprisingly happened. The High Court acquitted and discharged Anwar. That decision took everyone by surprise and they hoped that it would be the end of this sordid affair.

What the vast majority of Malaysians had hoped for following Anwar’s discharge did not happen. The Prosecution shocked everyone and appealed the High Court decision.

What will happen following this appeal is predictable. We have said as much in our previous statement on Dec 23, 2009. This is what we said:

“Aliran has been keeping track of recent Court decisions and with this knowledge we must warn the jubilant litigants not to get carried away easily. This is Round 1 and Round 1 usually goes in favour of truth and justice. It is here where the facts are scrutinised diligently and justice has its sway. It is as far as justice can go!

“In Round 2, this decision will almost certainly be overturned, as has been the case on many occasions. It is here where facts don’t matter but technicalities will be the overriding factor and justice will be forced to take a back seat.

Interview: Anwar Ibrahim acquitted in sodomy case

Malaysia's High Court acquitted opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomising a former aide, citing unreliable DNA evidence in a verdict Monday that surprised supporters who saw the case as an attempt to sideline him.

Anwar said the verdict left him free to focus on trying to topple Prime Minister Najib Razak's long-ruling coalition in national elections that many predict will be held within months.

The opposition has long maintained that the government concocted the charge to damage Anwar's chances of leading his three-party alliance to an election victory. Najib denies plotting against Anwar.

Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett spoke to Anwar after the verdict.

Appeal against Anwar’s acquittal : A fatal error

by Kim Quek

JAN 23 — Prime Minister Najib Razak seems to have made a U-turn in his position on the much lauded acquittal of Anwar Ibrahim from the sodomy charge.

When the totally unexpected acquittal was stunningly announced on January 9, Najib together with senior Umno leaders were quick to bask in the compliments that poured in from around the world for finally having done justice to Anwar despite the preceding perverted process that was seen as plain political persecution.

Najib, in particular, seemed proud of this High Court verdict, citing it as proof of the transformation that he had brought to the country. In an interview published by the influential Wall Street Journal on January 13, he told interviewer James Hookway that this verdict “underscores the depth of the reform process”. Najib said he was serious about the political reforms — to the extent of risking his chance of winning in the election.

Najib also expressed relief that the Anwar issue was finally over, and that the nation could henceforth tackle more serious issues such as the economy. He said:

“What is important now is that we move forward”.

There is no mistaking from this conversation that the prime minister was seizing this much approved ending to the trial as a positive development that would propel his reform agenda. In fact, he even told Hookway that through these changes he hoped to open up a new chapter with the US as “a partner in promoting democratic politics and free trade across Asia and the Islamic Middle East.”

King Of Goblok: Misteri kehilangan wang bumiputra 52 bilion ~ Skan...

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ABU-Hindraf ceramah attacked

A joint ceramah by the 'Anything But Umno' group and Hindraf was called to an abrupt end after youths attacked the venue with sticks and helmets. Injuries were reported amongst the participants of the ceramah.