Change We Must

Is it not time now that the citizens of Sabah and Sarawak change the subservient politics which has characterised the way these two states have conducted themselves? To do that, we need active, strong and well coordinated and united Opposition political parties in Sabah and Sarawak to complement the strength of the Opposition parties in Peninsular. Until we have such a strong and united Opposition in Sabah and Sarawak, Federal power will continue to elude us.

How do you make yourself a cohesive political force that can alter the course of our nation’s history? How can you bring about the changes in local politics and assume power after many years of BN abuse? These are the challenges you are faced with but which I believe you can overcome. I am not an expert in local politics but will venture a few suggestions.

For umpteen years (well at least for the past 30 years, when i first voted at about the time when DAP set foot on Sarawak), Sarawakians especially in the Urban areas (most notably in Padungan) have been voting against Tun Abdul Rhman Yaakub and subsequently Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud in State Elections. Meaning they are voicing their disatisfaction with the Nepotism, Collusion, Cronyism, Corruption and abuses by the Chief Executive via the ballot boxes. However, to ensure continuity in development funds and hoping to get some assistance as far as chinese education is concerned, Urban Sarawak Voters prefer to give their votes to Barisan Nasional. This is however not a fixed trend and Sarawakians tend to alternate between voting for the Opposition for State Seats and Barisan Nasional for Parliamentary Seats and vice versa. From this we can say “It is not only Melayu Muda Lupa, Sarawakians, especially the Urban Voters also Muda Lupa”. Like a “Yoyo” or “Roller Coaster”, they change their voting style when they discover the person they voted did not deliver and the experiment goes on till 2006.

In 2006 and in a rare show of gross disatisfaction, both seats (that is State and Parliament for the constituency of Padungan) went to the opposition. In that year, Sarawak also wrote the script for Tsunami 0308 when SUPP lost almost all Urban Seats they contested.

In short, Sarawakians are disgusted with how they are treated and the feeling is there is collusion between the Federal and State Government to marginalise Sarawakians and their inability to stop the plundering of the states wealth and vast natural resources. In fact it got much worst in the past 20 years and started with Tun Dr Mahathir’s reign. Well at least Padungan Voters decided in 2006, enough is enough.

The same can not be said of the rural voters. To them there is only know one government and that is the “Dacing”. However with regular activities by Pakatan Rakyat Sarawak, they are now more aware. Will this translate into votes? This is hard to tell. One thing is sure, they have endured much hardship since the formation of Malaysia and are beginning to know they have been short changed and resent Barisan Nasional. However after close to half a century of hardship, we have to understand their fear. To many any government, whether it is Pakatan Rakyat or “Dacing” is the same.

Deep down, we have a feeling, for them to feel and see the difference between a Pakatan Rakyat government and Barisan Nasional, they want to see something tangible. Mere talking through Ceramahs will not do. The scenario is not the same as West Malaysia. In West Malaysia, Urban migration have ensured the rural voters are updated regularly via phone conversations and the regular “Balik Kampungs”.

Firstly, the Dayaks who form the majority in Sarawak must really want change. They must feel in their veins that they no longer wish to endure the indignity and the economic hardship they continue to suffer under the rule of BN. They must recognise that they can play a bigger role, in fact a leadership role in the future of Sarawak. They can if they have the will to uplift the sordid conditions in which their people live. They must reject the politics of money where handouts are given each time the BN wants their vote. Take their money and reject them, like the people of Sibu did. They must want to rule and determine their own future and not leave their destiny in the hands of political warlords who are also proxies of Federal leaders. How can the Dayaks, the Chinese, the Melanaus and the Malays not see the need to work together for their common good; to stop the plunder of Native Customary Rights lands, the wastage and corruption as exemplified by the Bakun Dam project? There are educated and politically committed Dayaks and other bumiputras who should be able to galvanise a united force against BN, but they must do that now. We used to have Temenggong Jugah, Stephen Kalong Ningkan, and Tawi Sli and others as leaders but where are the Dayaks now?

Secondly, the Opposition groups in Sabah and Sarawak must learn to trust one another and to have a new political culture of consensus building. They must value on unity and accept ethnic diversity and have genuine interest to help the people. This means the politics of dominance by one group over another must be rejected. This means rich towkays must not be allowed to control the course of politics. If you have suffered by the dominance and abuse of Federal power and if you have suffered in the hands of authoritarian leaders, then you must not make the same mistake by selecting leaders who will do the same under a different name. You must learn to trust one another rather than resorting to the easy way out of cavorting with Federal leaders, or getting blessings of leaders in Kuala Lumpur. You cannot raise and speak for your people if you are afraid to speak and stand up for yourself.

Change is not about changing leaders. What matters is about changing to the right kind of leadership. We live in a complex multi ethnic and multi religious country. We live in a Malaysia today that has shown visible signs of being schizophrenic; racist, prejudiced and fascistic in its behaviour. We have to show a leadership that is different from BN, a leadership that will put a stop to this madness. a leadership that wants to change the course of the nation where we can and should treat all Malaysians as equals, where we practice real democracy, and where the rule of just laws are available to all citizens. We want a government that respect the rights and the dignity of its people.

Sabah and Sarawak now have the golden opportunity to restore political power in their own hands for the first time since 1963. It is meaningless to talk of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and to lament how unfairly you have been treated in the last 47 years unless you exercise political leverage at the federal level. The next election is one golden opportunity to work together in securing such leverage.

The question is how much does the Sabah and Sarawak leaders value this leverage? I am a Malaysian – not an East Malaysian or West Malaysian. To me, a backward Kelantan is as painful a sight as a Sabah and Sarawak left behind by other states. I want to see Sabah and Sarawak develop and grow into mature democracies and become economically developed states. I also believe only Sarawakians know what’s best for Sarawak, and only Sabahans know what’s good for Sabah. I do not subscribe to the view that Sabah and Sarawak should be subservient to Federal control other than in areas clearly stipulated in the Constitution. The spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 must be honoured and respected.

The State election is around the corner. You will have the golden opportunity to declare the message – WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH. Make this your rallying cry: Datuk Patinggi Taib and Datuk Panglima Musa Aman – WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH. Send them packing and usher in the new dawn. The choice is yours – whether you want to be making history by propagating change or whether you will be judged by history as those who were afraid to change.

Read full article @ Zaid Untuk Rakyat

Pakatan Rakyat wants to gain a foothold in Sarawak to “save the state from corrupted leaders”. It is gearing up for the fight in the coming state polls, confident that it can do better this time around.

Not wasting time, Pakatan will hold a one-day meeting next Thursday in Kuala Lumpur to draw up its battle plan to capture the Land of the Hornbills.

Said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution: “Leaders of Pakatan will meet and discuss only one agenda – the preparation for the coming Sarawak election.”

“We expect to discuss the list of candidates, seat allocation, manifesto, logistics, strategy and various other issues,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

He said he was satisfied with PKR election preparation, adding: “We are ready now to enter the fight.”

On seat allocation, Saifuddin said the overlapping of claims was only minimal and hoped the matter could be thrashed out at the Kuala Lumpur meeting.

“Unlike previous elections, this coming election will see one-to-one fight against the Barisan Nasional in the 71 constituencies,” he said.

“We are confident we can do better this time,” he said.

PKR’s head of strategy bureau, Tian Chua, who was present, said the people of Sarawak should vote wisely because their choice was important.

“Pakatan Rakyat is coming to Sarawak not only to try gain a foothold, but also to save the state from corrupted leaders who have been in power for so long,” he said.

“Now the BN is in crisis… this is the best time for the people of Sarawak to make a change.

“Pakatan is here to provide a vehicle for people of Sarawak who want to see change in the state,” he stressed.

On the selection of candidates, Chua said that the criteria of selection would be stringent as they did not want ‘political frogs”.

“Only loyal and winnable candidates will be selected,” he added.

Joseph Tawie @ Free Malaysia Today

Don’t be left out, Be Part of The Change Sweeping Sarawak and West Malaysia.

If this there is any sustance in this article, what about the other Dayak Community, especially the urban Bidayuh and Ibans?

Via SUPP, it is high time the Ibans and Bidayuhs realise that all this years they are being made use of by our evil and corrupt Thief Minister and the two Deputy Thief Ministers to remain in power. With it they feel they have the Dayak Community’s mandate to plundered Sarawak’s and the State’s wealth, especially the natural resources.

YB Dominique and Sdr Zulhaidah have said it correctly here (How graft, racial-religious politicking “KILLED” Malaysia’s economy) and Politics of Development – Saya pun kena tipu!

Winds of political change blow through Sarawak jungles

An opposition party poster hanging in a Penan tribal chieftain’s wooden longhouse deep in Sarawak’s rainforests signals winds of political change blowing across Borneo island.

The Penan are among the most disadvantaged of Malaysia’s indigenous people, and have for decades fought a one-sided war against the powerful logging and plantation firms that are obliterating their ancestral land.

But a political transformation, which threatens to unseat the coalition that has ruled for half a century, has put Sabah and Sarawak in a powerful position.

And the poster in the Penan longhouse, promoting the leaders of the Democratic Action Party – one of a trio that make up the opposition alliance – is the sort of thing that has the government worried.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak made an historic visit last month to the interior of Sarawak to visit the Penan and other “Orang Ulu” – tribal groups known as “River People” as their homelands are located along remote waterways.

The premier, who arrived with senior ministers by helicopter in the village of Long Banga, made multi-million-dollar pledges to fund projects including a long-overdue road, a mini dam and a mobile medical clinic.

He also announced a plan to survey native lands, a move he said would give indigenous people ownership of their ancestral territory – the holy grail they have been campaigning for in vain.

“The response is great. It was very spontaneous. The promises will be delivered,” an ebullient Najib said before flying out of the jungle.

Vote for the opposition

Women and Community minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil also flew into Sarawak last month, to take charge of an investigation into allegations of rampant sexual abuse and rape of Penan women at the hands of logging workers.

“The Penan community should know that now they have someone to champion their cause and that is us,” she said.

But despite the flurry of high-level attention, and promises of action on issues critical to the future of the Penan, there is widespread scepticism over the intentions of the BN government.

After 2008 elections that transformed Malaysia’s political scene by handing the opposition alliance a third of parliamentary seats, the BN must retain Sabah and Sarawak in the next elections if it wants to stay in power.

A long journey by boat and car into Sarawak’s rugged interior found that, far from being hopeful that the new focus on Borneo will finally aid their cause, there is a strong sense of frustration and betrayal among the Penan.

Many feel cheated by promises made and broken in the past half-century since independence, and are feeling emboldened to vote against the government for the first time in elections that could come later this year.

“I will advise my villagers to vote for the opposition,” Abeng Jek, a 67-year-old former village headman told AFP as other Penan nodded their heads in agreement.

“All this while I have voted Barisan Nasional. We will no longer accept promises. We want change,” he said as children peeped out of their longhouse rooms to hear the elder’s frustration.

“Twenty years ago I asked for a rice machine, new zinc for the roof and concrete pavement in front of the longhouse. They said: yes, yes. I voted the ruling party. Now my stomach is empty,” he said.

‘PM not in charge, Taib is’
There are at least 10,000 Penan in Sarawak, but their way of life is under threat from extensive logging of their traditional hunting grounds, as well as the spread of palm oil and timber plantations.

The tribespeople, armed with spears and blowpipes, continue to set up blockades to stop powerful companies from wiping out the remnants of their ancestral land, but often meet with a violent response.

The plight of the Penan people was made famous in the 1990s by environmental activist Bruno Manser, who campaigned to protect their way of life and fend off the loggers, before he vanished in 2000 amid suspicion of foul play.

Lukas Straumann, director of the Bruno Manser Fund which campaigns for the people of the rainforests, is pessimistic that the new focus on the region will benefit the Penan or other indigenous tribes.

He said that Najib was not able to deliver the critical promise of land reform, which lies in the hands of long-serving Sarawak chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

“The problem is, the prime minister is not in charge. Taib is in charge,” he said. “So we do not believe they will give over the land unless there is a change in government or unless they are forced to do so by the courts.”

Further along the Baram river in the village of Long Lamai, some Penan complained that while Najib came with new promises of dams and roads, earlier pledges for drains and home repairs had not yet been fulfilled.

“The trust has been damaged. Look, our longhouses are falling apart. They promised a drain but it has not been built,” said 50-year-old Richard Jengan. “Now I will vote anyone who can help us.”

Cheated by hollow words
Bulan Teko, 40, said she and many others were disappointed that no action has been taken against the perpetrators of the rape epidemic, including loggers who preyed on girls forced to seek lifts to reach far-flung schools.

“Now the women and children are afraid to venture out alone,” she said, adding that it had added to long-standing hardships caused by deforestation.

“Logging has polluted our rivers, the only source of clean water and we continue to live in darkness at night,” she said.

“Our children read with oil lamps. And when we have no money to buy fuel, we live in darkness.”

Daud Sedin, a 35-year-old Penan who walked five hours through the jungle from neighbouring Data Bila village to meet Najib at Long Banga said he desperately hoped the prime minister would resolve the land issue.

“Logging companies encroach our land – cutting down our trees and running over our dogs. We are frustrated. We feel cheated by the government’s hollow words,” he said.

“All the Orang Ulu, especially the young, are talking about voting for the opposition.”

James Chin, political science professor at the Monash University campus in Kuala Lumpur, rubbished the prime minister’s initiative as a “pre-election ploy to win native votes.”

But he is not convinced that their grievances will overcome the vote-buying that is a staple part of elections in Sarawak, perpetuating the dominance of powerful, cashed-up ruling parties.

“Come polls, the natives will be swayed to vote the ruling party via vote buying. Remember they are poor, money will cool their frustrations,” said Chin. - AFP

This article is taken from Malaysiankini

The Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties have pledged to ensure straight fights with Barisan Nasional (BN) in the upcoming state election, which must be called by July next year.

The coalition of four parties — DAP, PAS, PKR and local opposition party SNAP — made the decision at the inaugural meeting of its leadership council last night.

Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng told The Malaysian Insider that the state PR is also aiming to take over the government led by Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who has been in power for almost three decades.

“The leadership council also decided to topple BN in the state election, so we are aiming for at least 50 per cent of the seats,” said Wong.

“At the very least we must deny the two-thirds majority,” he added.

The Malaysian Insider

The deputy president of Sarawak National Party (SNAP) Ting Lian Kiew, who has been very critical of SNAP leadership, has been expelled from the party effective today. Announcing the expulsion, SNAP president Edwin Dundang said the decision of the central executive committee (CEC) members was unanimous.

“The CEC today unanimously decided to expel from the party Ting, who has been suspended since April 6, 2009, after he has failed to give a satisfactory and acceptable reply to our show-cause letter.

“Kebing Wan, senior vice-president of the party is now acting deputy president until the next triennial general meeting,” Dundang said, adding that 12 of the CEC members were present.

Ting had been at loggerheads with Dundang and SNAP secretary- general Stanley Jugol since April last year when he campaigned for the BN-Parti Rakyat Sarawak candidate Malcolm Mussen in the Batang Ai by-election against the wishes of the party.

In the May 16 Sibu by-election, Ting also urged SNAP members to vote for Robert Lau Hui Yew, SUPP-BN candidate, while SNAP supported Pakatan Rakyat-DAP candidate Wong Ho Leng.

‘SPDP should close shop’
Meanwhile, Dundang called on party members to reactivate their branches since the party had been given a new lease of life by the Court of Appeal as well as to prepare for the coming state election.

He also urged members who had left SNAP when it was in the “intensive care unit” for eight years to come back.

“You came in to join SNAP before because you love the party…

“We also invited well-wishers and sympathisers regardless of race and religion to come and join us and share our political struggles.

“SNAP is for everyone, especially those who share our political struggles which are based on the federal constitution and the 18- point agreement (which is the basis of agreement in forming the Federation of Malaysia).

“We are committed to safeguarding… the 18 points that have over the years been neglected, forgotten and partially implemented.

“What we want is for the federal constitution to be honoured and the18-point pact to be fulfilled,” he said, urging all Sarawakians to help the party fight for justice and fairness.

Dundang stressed that his party would always remain with Pakatan Rakyat Sarawak.

“Pakatan is the only way forward that SNAP wants to associate with, as we know that Pakatan is the only political alternative for the people of Sarawak and for Malaysians,” he said.

On calls by Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president William Mawan for SNAP to close shop, Dundang said: “I have been in ‘ICU’ for eight years, and did he (Mawan) ever come and tell me to close shop and die?”

“But now that I have regained consciousness, who is he to tell me to close shop?” he asked.

“Instead of calling us to close shop, Mawan should come back and rejoin SNAP. SPDP should close shop for the sake of Sarawakians who are committed to honouring the federal constitution and the 18-point agreement,” Dundang said.

This is the question that many is asking, including the strategist in UMNO and Barisan Nasional in the Federal Capital.

My answer is if Pakatan Rakyat have done more in rural areas targetting the winnable seats there is a high chance of toppling Taib Mahmud’s regime in Sarawak and his Politics of Development which is nothing but a thin viel to camouflage “Politics of Bondage and Slavery”.

What more is there to do? The Ibans and Dayak community want something tangible to see. Merely creating awareness and harnessing support via the network of NGO will not do, in my opinion.

With the State Election around the corner which i speculate to be after the budget 2011 and implementation of some projects announced in the 10th Malaysia Plan in rural Sarawak, Pakatan Rakyat may have lost a better opportunity to topple Taib Mahmud’s regime in the immediate State Election. At best, Pakatan Rakyat can hope to make inroads and deny them the two thirds majority in the Dewan Undangan Negri Sarawak.

On the surface Sarawak seems ripe for political change. Despite being the richest state in terms of natural resources, it is ironically also the second poorest, a situation which speaks of endemic corruption and poor governance.

But capturing Sarawak is anything but straightforward. BN has held this state in an iron grip since it joined the Federation in 1963 through a coalition of native parties led by PBB. Taib Mahmud, the white-haired Rajah of Sarawak has ruled for 29 years. The tenacity of BN’s rule has been aided by misuse of state resources, tight control of the media, ethnic divide and rule and outright vote buying aided by the inaccessibility of its terrain and the abject poverty of the natives.

The importance of wresting control of Sarawak from BN goes beyond the state government. Sarawak has 31 parliamentary seats, a disproportionate number compared to its population and usually swept by BN at every general election. Capturing the state government will level the playing field for the coming battle in the general elections and will be a precursor to the capture of Federal power.

Malaysia Chronicle

continue reading…

“if only the people can dare to hope, then the power of change is in their hands. They can save their future and the future of their children, but they must have the courage to act. They must vote out their oppressors at the coming election and they must not succumb to petty bribes. We in the opposition are not offering just a few ringits the night before the election, instead we are offering rich rewards after the election to those who have given us their trust.”…. Baru Bian

Mr Baru Bian, Sarawak’s top native rights lawyer, explained the measures that he will bring through immediately to reform Sarawak for its people. His key pledges are to:

End corruption and bring back honest government

Give back land taken illegally from native people

Fight for a fair share of Sarawak’s oil revenues

Save Sarawak’s environment by ending logging of virgin forest and oil palm

Stop the dam programme and the displacement of people from their lands.

Kick-start rural development with roads, water and electricity a priority

Improve schools and medical care in the rural areas

This is the greatest insult to the intelligence of Ibans and the Dayak community who have faithfully supported Barisan Nasional for 45 years, despite having the first Chief Minister, Stephen Kalong Ningkan ousted by Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub a Muslim Melanau.

Since than power have been concentrated within the family as Abdul Taib Mahmud is the nephew of Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub.

Pay Him Silly A T M, Thief Minister Sarawak said he was confident the Bumiputera would continue to support the government because they believed in organised efforts and good clear policies in struggling for their betterment.

“The Bumiputera are humble. They know they are poor and in difficulty. So they place high hopes on the government to help them out.”

Free Malaysia Today

Under Thief Minister A T M or the ATM Machine of Sarawak Barisan Nasional an evil scheme was hatched in the guise of “Politics of Development” where most development funds are chanelled to Samarahan and now Mukah / Tg Manis Area.

To silent his lapdogs, from the other community, Betong and Miri receive some funds for development and we have seen how many white elephants being built. Eg. Sarawak International Medical Center when in many parts of Sarawak, we do not even have proper basic health care, electricity and clean piped water.

Sarawak International Medical Center remains a white elephant as no decision have been reached by Health Ministry to acquire it and turn it into a 2nd General Hospital sited yet again in Samarahan!

In the 29 years of Thief Minister rule in Sarawak his “Politics of Development” is nothing more than “Politics of Political Bondage and Slavery” to ensure Ibans and Dayaks continue to support Barisan Nasional and wait in anticipation of the implementation of promised development. In some cases, they take decades to be approved such as the road linking Kapit to the outside world.

Do Ibans and the rest of the Dayak community want to continue to live under such poverty; waiting for bread crumbs?

Now is the time to tell him he have looted enough of Sarawak’s wealth and is time to show him how to “SCORE” an own goal. It is better for him to leave on his own accord instead of facing the fate of Ferdinand Marcos and Suharto.

Part I

SNAP president Edwin Dundang and its secretary-general Edmund Stanley Jugol say they will not re-join Barisan Nasional as their struggles are similar to those of Pakatan Rakyat’s.

Both have confirmed that after eight difficult years, and their association with Pakatan Rakyat, they have come to believe in their (PR) struggle for the good of the people and the eradication of corruption plaguing the nation.

SNAP’s de-registration was set aside by the Court of Appeal recently, and there were already calls from the BN coalition wanting to see SNAP back in the fold.

Dundang said SNAP was like a young girl with a number of suitors.

When a man asked for the girl’s hand in marriage, it’s natural for her to make the choice, and she chose Pakatan Rakyat.

Jugol, meanwhile, said that SNAP had struggled for so many years already and the only direction they should be heading now, where there’s a better future, was with PR.

“The BN always said that Pakatan Rakyat is not a Sarawak-based party.

We are, now that we are part of them,” he added.

In the last by-election in Sibu, SNAP was openly campaigning for DAP candidate Wong Ho Leng.

SNAP had some 120,000 members, many of whom have joined other Dayak-based parties like SPDP and PRS.

Jugol said they would be having a central committee meeting soon to decide on the party’s future directions and plans.

Tribune.my