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.