http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=110092
Kelabit-owned Persafe Engineering receives certificates of excellence
Posted on March 29, 2011, Tuesday
BINTULU: Its was a commendable achievement by a Bumiputera company recognised for its speed and creativity in delivering quality products and services to its clients, said Sarawak Immigration Department director Datu Robert Lian.
He was commenting on the achievement of Persafe Engineering Sdn Bhd, a company wholly owned by Kelabit ethnic minority of Sarawak for being awarded with the ISO 2001:2008 and OHSAS 1800:2007 certifications.
“This is indeed a special recognition accorded to Persafe Engineering for having established quality management system, which include an effective and efficient organisation structure, policies, procedures and practices in place for managing its processes or business activities throughout its business operations,” he said when speaking at the certificates presentation cum appreciation dinner held last Saturday night.
“I have no doubt that these important elements or ingredients have shaped the corporate culture and contributed towards the rapid and impressive growth of the company since its inception 15 years ago,” he added.
Working hard to meet the changing industry requirements of the day has given the company a strong reputation as one of the best service providers for the oil and gas sector with good prospect to venture for business opportunities outside Malaysia, he said.
He said as the company continues to move forward in search for more business opportunities, it will face new challenges brought about by the rapidly evolving information technology and the process of globalisation.
“I am happy to note that the company has taken the right step to continually adjust its structure and procedures in order to sustain competitiveness and long term survival.
“For this strategy to succeed, the board, management and staff of the company will have to take full responsibility and be accountable for the activities under their charge. They should be conversant with the scope and extent of their accountability and be provided with the necessary reporting and monitoring systems,” said Lian.
In the course of time, it is expected that the company’s business operations will continue to grow and expand both domestically and overseas thus he stressed strong commitment is required besides proactive leadership in wanting to drive further progress.
He said the support of human capital and the implementation of various key initiatives are essential.
It is therefore imperative for the company to continue taking proactive actions to develop professional and business skills and know-how of employees in order to empower them with the right competencies to focus on growth, operational excellence, human capital development and other critical issues, he lamented.
Lian said working as a team is important with each business unit lending an unconditional support to each other.
“You will need the support and help your colleagues and your success or failure will depend on how good a team player you are.
“Knowing the company have the right initiatives, culture and esprit de corps, together you should strive to achieve the company’s vision of becoming the most ‘preferred contractor’ in the region,” he said.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Beads galore
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2011/3/19/lifeliving/8291981&sec=lifeliving
Saturday March 19, 2011
Beads galore
Bead lovers will go gaga over the impressive stockpile of rare and antique Bornean beads in Tun Jugah Foundation’s latest addition, the Leka Marik Gallery.
Culled from the private collection of the late Datin Amar Margaret Linggi, the beads come in a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes which are strung into necklaces, dresses and belts.
Most of them originated from the maritime bead trade or were imported from Venice, the Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean countries, China, Africa, India, the Indo-Pacific region and Indonesia.
A traditional wedding outfit. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
For some indigenous folks of Borneo, beads are valued beyond mere aesthetics. Beads are collected and bequeathed to the next generation.
Some communities use beads in ceremonial rites, while others value beads as status symbols.
In the olden days, the dead were buried with beads as part of their grave clothes, or as “grave gifts”, for use in the deceased’s passage to the underworld. Many beads were sold, traded or lost in longhouse fires.
At the Gallery, the beads on display are described based on how they are worn or used, and the individual strings — suspended from the glass exhibit cases highlight the types of beads, for example, chevron, melon, rosette or millefiori beads.
The beads are also classified based on colours, diaphaneity (opaque, translucent or transparent), shapes (barrel, disc, tubular, spindle) and decorations (motifs such as flower, dotted, spiral or wavy). Special, rare or unique beads are displayed on trays.
The Ibans wear beads as part of their traditional costumes like the dujung marik and marik empang (bead collar), necklaces and decorated textiles (skirts, jackets and blouses) with cowrie shells.
They favour beads like the pelaga or carnelians; marik gamang — pyjama beads and melon beads.
> The Leka Marik gallery, pua gallery and museum are located at Level 4, Tun Jugah Tower, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuching, Sarawak. For more information, call (082) 239 672 or visit: tunjugahfoundation.org.my Opening hours: 9am-noon and 1pm-4.30pm (Monday to Friday). Admission is free.
Saturday March 19, 2011
Beads galore
Bead lovers will go gaga over the impressive stockpile of rare and antique Bornean beads in Tun Jugah Foundation’s latest addition, the Leka Marik Gallery.
Culled from the private collection of the late Datin Amar Margaret Linggi, the beads come in a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes which are strung into necklaces, dresses and belts.
Most of them originated from the maritime bead trade or were imported from Venice, the Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean countries, China, Africa, India, the Indo-Pacific region and Indonesia.
A traditional wedding outfit. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
For some indigenous folks of Borneo, beads are valued beyond mere aesthetics. Beads are collected and bequeathed to the next generation.
Some communities use beads in ceremonial rites, while others value beads as status symbols.
In the olden days, the dead were buried with beads as part of their grave clothes, or as “grave gifts”, for use in the deceased’s passage to the underworld. Many beads were sold, traded or lost in longhouse fires.
At the Gallery, the beads on display are described based on how they are worn or used, and the individual strings — suspended from the glass exhibit cases highlight the types of beads, for example, chevron, melon, rosette or millefiori beads.
The beads are also classified based on colours, diaphaneity (opaque, translucent or transparent), shapes (barrel, disc, tubular, spindle) and decorations (motifs such as flower, dotted, spiral or wavy). Special, rare or unique beads are displayed on trays.
The Ibans wear beads as part of their traditional costumes like the dujung marik and marik empang (bead collar), necklaces and decorated textiles (skirts, jackets and blouses) with cowrie shells.
They favour beads like the pelaga or carnelians; marik gamang — pyjama beads and melon beads.
> The Leka Marik gallery, pua gallery and museum are located at Level 4, Tun Jugah Tower, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuching, Sarawak. For more information, call (082) 239 672 or visit: tunjugahfoundation.org.my Opening hours: 9am-noon and 1pm-4.30pm (Monday to Friday). Admission is free.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Christians welcome fast resolution to Bible issue
Peter Kallanghttp://www.theborneopost.com/?p=104236
Christians welcome fast resolution to Bible issue
by Cecilia B Sman.
Posted on March 17, 2011, Thursday
MIRI: Christians here have welcomed the government’s speedy resolution of the issue of Bahasa Malaysia Bibles detained at the Kuching Port and Port Klang, Selangor.
Orang Ulu National Association (Ouna) Miri branch chairman Peter Kallang said the release of the Bibles was a good development
He said Sarawak is known as a friendly place where people of various religious and racial backgrounds live and interact together in peace and harmony.
“Sarawakians do not only tolerate each other’s religion and race but respect them. Forcing one’s ideologies or faith on others is also something foreign in Sarawak,” he said in a statement emailed to The Borneo Post yesterday.
He added that all his Muslim relatives and friends never forced their beliefs on him and added that generally speaking, the Muslims in Sarawak live peacefully and cordially with non-Muslims.
Peter, who is also Peng Lepo Kenyah Miri (Kenyah Association Miri) chairman, added that in the old days, many Muslims took up Bible as a subject in school.
“But until today they are still committed Muslims, none of them became Christians. Many of them have gone for their pilgrimage to Mecca. But one thing I know, my Muslim friends are very open in their interaction with people of other religions. I still meet some of them regularly.”
Sarawak Kayan Association Miri branch chairman Philip Ngo also welcomed the announcement calling it “the right move”.
He said in the Kayan language, the word ‘Allah’ refers not only to God, but also means light and the names of persons.
It’s not uncommon, he said, to find members of the community who are called Allah Emang or Allah Lah.
Meanwhile, obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Roland Mattu said he was very happy that the government has released the Bibles.
“We may not have a perfect government but at least they are doing something right with regards to the Bibles and this paves the way for a greater Malaysia,” said Dr Roland yesterday.
He added that religion is something very personal and thus should not be imposed on others or politicised by any political party to gain support.
“We in Sarawak have for generations had full respect for each other irrespective of religious backgrounds and hope that issues such as detention of imported Bibles will not happen again,” he said.
Don’t waste your time, Bario youths tell opposition
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=104117
Don’t waste your time, Bario youths tell opposition
Posted on March 17, 2011, Thursday
MIRI: The Youth bureau of JKKK Bario has advised the opposition to abandon their plans of conquering the Kelabit highlands.
Its chief Leju Balang, 46, said his people were all for the Barisan Nasional to continue to champion their cause
“We totally reject PKR here,” Leju said when contacted in Bario yesterday.
He pointed out that the opposition had brought nothing to Bario all these years.
But the BN had brought in economic developments and had long-term plans for Bario and Ba Kelalan.
“The BN government has improved the lifestyles of the Kelabit. We still need the BN. The opposition should stop wasting their time campaigning here.”
Sharing the same views is Peter Matu, 45.
He claimed that 97 per cent of the Kelabits in Bario were all for the BN.
He pointed out that currently under progress in Bario were an airport, clinic and a concrete road linking Bario Asal to the airport.
“We would like to thank the BN government for its sincerity toward the people.”
Its treasurer Douin Madang, 42, from Para Mapuh Bawah, Bario, also said the opposition had done nothing for Bario.
Don’t waste your time, Bario youths tell opposition
Posted on March 17, 2011, Thursday
MIRI: The Youth bureau of JKKK Bario has advised the opposition to abandon their plans of conquering the Kelabit highlands.
Its chief Leju Balang, 46, said his people were all for the Barisan Nasional to continue to champion their cause
“We totally reject PKR here,” Leju said when contacted in Bario yesterday.
He pointed out that the opposition had brought nothing to Bario all these years.
But the BN had brought in economic developments and had long-term plans for Bario and Ba Kelalan.
“The BN government has improved the lifestyles of the Kelabit. We still need the BN. The opposition should stop wasting their time campaigning here.”
Sharing the same views is Peter Matu, 45.
He claimed that 97 per cent of the Kelabits in Bario were all for the BN.
He pointed out that currently under progress in Bario were an airport, clinic and a concrete road linking Bario Asal to the airport.
“We would like to thank the BN government for its sincerity toward the people.”
Its treasurer Douin Madang, 42, from Para Mapuh Bawah, Bario, also said the opposition had done nothing for Bario.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
‘Tap into tourism potential of highlands’
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=103497
‘Tap into tourism potential of highlands’
by Mohamad Abdullah
Posted on March 16, 2011, Wednesday
MIRI: The Lun Bawang, Tagal and Kelabits in Ba Kelalan and Bario must tap into the beauty of the highlands.
WELL DONE: Nelson (third left) hands over a certificate to a homestay participant.
This call came from Ba Kelalan assemblyman Nelson Balang Rining.
“Tap into these opportunities as they are God-gifted natural beauties that can generate income for us in the highlands,” Nelson told participants of a homestay programme in Ba Kelalan over the weekend.
The programme is organised by the Ministry of Tourism Sarawak and Pejabat Kementerian Pelancongan Malaysia Negeri Sarawak.
Nelson listed some of nature’s beauty in the highlands of Bario and Ba Kelalan: Gunung Murut which is 2.423 metres high, salt spring of Ba Kelalan, Batu Lawi in Bario, Pulun Tau National Park, Batu Angan legendary stone and the 152 species of birds in Ba Kelalan, Bario Rice and organic vegetables.
The Ba Kelalan assemblyman asked the relevant ministry to set up signboards at strategic places of interest in Ba Kelalan including a homestay locality map.
He will bring up a request from villagers to put up a walking track from one village to another, including cycling path for mountain bikes.
At the function, 14 participants in the homestay programme received their certificates from Nelson.
‘Tap into tourism potential of highlands’
by Mohamad Abdullah
Posted on March 16, 2011, Wednesday
MIRI: The Lun Bawang, Tagal and Kelabits in Ba Kelalan and Bario must tap into the beauty of the highlands.
WELL DONE: Nelson (third left) hands over a certificate to a homestay participant.
This call came from Ba Kelalan assemblyman Nelson Balang Rining.
“Tap into these opportunities as they are God-gifted natural beauties that can generate income for us in the highlands,” Nelson told participants of a homestay programme in Ba Kelalan over the weekend.
The programme is organised by the Ministry of Tourism Sarawak and Pejabat Kementerian Pelancongan Malaysia Negeri Sarawak.
Nelson listed some of nature’s beauty in the highlands of Bario and Ba Kelalan: Gunung Murut which is 2.423 metres high, salt spring of Ba Kelalan, Batu Lawi in Bario, Pulun Tau National Park, Batu Angan legendary stone and the 152 species of birds in Ba Kelalan, Bario Rice and organic vegetables.
The Ba Kelalan assemblyman asked the relevant ministry to set up signboards at strategic places of interest in Ba Kelalan including a homestay locality map.
He will bring up a request from villagers to put up a walking track from one village to another, including cycling path for mountain bikes.
At the function, 14 participants in the homestay programme received their certificates from Nelson.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Dr Chan: Let the Bibles go
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/13/sarawak/8258235&sec=sarawak
Sunday March 13, 2011
Dr Chan: Let the Bibles go
BY STEPHEN THEN
stephenthen@thestar.com.my
MIRI: The Sarawak government wants the Home Ministry to release all detained or seized Bibles immediately.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan (pic) said the state government was of the opinion that detaining and seizing the Bibles was “totally unacceptable in multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia.”
Dr Chan, who is SUPP president, said Sarawak could not understand the rationale behind such treatment of the Bibles or why the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bibles could not be imported into the country.
“The state government objects in the strongest term to this sort of treatment of the Bibles. Whoever is doing this sort of thing, whether it is the Federal Government or any Federal ministry, it is wrong and unjust.
“We in the state government cannot accept this,” he told reporters here when reacting to the latest controversy over the detention of 30,000 Bibles in Port Klang and Kuching Port.
Dr Chan pointed out that there were never such problems in Sarawak and could not understand why those responsible “were being so difficult and causing unnecessary controversies and ill-feelings among Malaysians.”
“What is wrong with allowing the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bibles to be used by Christians? In Sarawak, we have never faced such controversies before. In this state, we have mosques and churches built side-by-side. In our coffeeshops, we have Chinese and Malay food sellers operating next to each other.
“Chinese and Muslims eat at the same table. We never have any problem with race or religion.” He said the state would talk to the Federal Cabinet and the Home Ministry on this.
“Please don’t create unnecessary problems for the rakyat. Don’t spread such behaviour to Sarawak.”
The Home Ministry has said that the Bibles were not allowed into the state and country because they did not meet the terms and conditions set by the ministry. The Bibles were printed in Indonesia.
Last year, the same controversy erupted in Kuala Lumpur when the ministry banned similar Bibles from being used.
On Friday, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had said that allowing Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia to be printed locally by printing houses sanctioned by the Home Ministry would provide an amicable solution to the deadlock over the matter.
He said if Bibles in the national language were printed locally, then these could be allowed to be circulated to churches with proper supervision.
He also appealed to the Government to meet church groups to resolve the issue soon, stating that the fulfilment of religious needs should not be confined to selected languages, and that every Malaysian had the right to practise his religion as guaranteed and enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
Dr Chan yesterday said state leaders would raise the issue for discussion during the next state cabinet meeting and bring the issue to the Federal Cabinet and to the attention of the Prime Minister.
He said Sarawak did not want to see such controversies happen again and if the Bibles could not be imported from Indonesia, then Sarawak would print them.
“The Federal Government better get this resolved fast,’’ he said.
Asked if the state Barisan Nasional was worried about political repercussion during the coming election, Dr Chan said the state government was angry not because of political reasons, but more so because such acts were unjustified.
He, however, claimed that SUPP lost in last May’s Sibu by-election partly because of the controversies over the use of the word Allah and also because of the detention of the Bibles in Port Klang at that time.
Dr Chan warned that the Barisan could face a similar backlash if the matter was not resolved quickly.
Sunday March 13, 2011
Dr Chan: Let the Bibles go
BY STEPHEN THEN
stephenthen@thestar.com.my
MIRI: The Sarawak government wants the Home Ministry to release all detained or seized Bibles immediately.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan (pic) said the state government was of the opinion that detaining and seizing the Bibles was “totally unacceptable in multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia.”
Dr Chan, who is SUPP president, said Sarawak could not understand the rationale behind such treatment of the Bibles or why the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bibles could not be imported into the country.
“The state government objects in the strongest term to this sort of treatment of the Bibles. Whoever is doing this sort of thing, whether it is the Federal Government or any Federal ministry, it is wrong and unjust.
“We in the state government cannot accept this,” he told reporters here when reacting to the latest controversy over the detention of 30,000 Bibles in Port Klang and Kuching Port.
Dr Chan pointed out that there were never such problems in Sarawak and could not understand why those responsible “were being so difficult and causing unnecessary controversies and ill-feelings among Malaysians.”
“What is wrong with allowing the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bibles to be used by Christians? In Sarawak, we have never faced such controversies before. In this state, we have mosques and churches built side-by-side. In our coffeeshops, we have Chinese and Malay food sellers operating next to each other.
“Chinese and Muslims eat at the same table. We never have any problem with race or religion.” He said the state would talk to the Federal Cabinet and the Home Ministry on this.
“Please don’t create unnecessary problems for the rakyat. Don’t spread such behaviour to Sarawak.”
The Home Ministry has said that the Bibles were not allowed into the state and country because they did not meet the terms and conditions set by the ministry. The Bibles were printed in Indonesia.
Last year, the same controversy erupted in Kuala Lumpur when the ministry banned similar Bibles from being used.
On Friday, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had said that allowing Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia to be printed locally by printing houses sanctioned by the Home Ministry would provide an amicable solution to the deadlock over the matter.
He said if Bibles in the national language were printed locally, then these could be allowed to be circulated to churches with proper supervision.
He also appealed to the Government to meet church groups to resolve the issue soon, stating that the fulfilment of religious needs should not be confined to selected languages, and that every Malaysian had the right to practise his religion as guaranteed and enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
Dr Chan yesterday said state leaders would raise the issue for discussion during the next state cabinet meeting and bring the issue to the Federal Cabinet and to the attention of the Prime Minister.
He said Sarawak did not want to see such controversies happen again and if the Bibles could not be imported from Indonesia, then Sarawak would print them.
“The Federal Government better get this resolved fast,’’ he said.
Asked if the state Barisan Nasional was worried about political repercussion during the coming election, Dr Chan said the state government was angry not because of political reasons, but more so because such acts were unjustified.
He, however, claimed that SUPP lost in last May’s Sibu by-election partly because of the controversies over the use of the word Allah and also because of the detention of the Bibles in Port Klang at that time.
Dr Chan warned that the Barisan could face a similar backlash if the matter was not resolved quickly.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Orang Ulu happy with BN govt — Federation
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=101671
Orang Ulu happy with BN govt — Federation
Posted on March 12, 2011, Saturday
MIRI: The Orang Ulu are happy with the present BN government, which recognised contribution of the minority ethnic groups toward nation building.
Federation of Orang Ulu Associations Sarawak, Malaysia (FORUM) Wanita Wing chairlady councillor Kijan Toynbee said the government treated the small Orang Ulu community well as some have jobs in the government and private sectors.
“The Orang Ulu have high hopes toward BN government that have proven to champion the people’s interest including the minority,” Kijan said to The Borneo Post during the International Women Day celebration Tea Party organised by Wanita FORUM held at Tuah Cafe near Miri Airport yesterday afternoon.
According to Kijan, members of the community are happy because they continue to enjoy tremendous development under BN government that is sincere towards the people and its priority to the rakyat.
Kijan who is also a political secretary to Chief Minister said, the community would continue giving their undivided support to the visionary BN leaders to bring more development to Sarawak including the rural areas.
At the same time, she said, the government also recognised the role of women in the country and state as they form pillars of success to their male counterparts.
She said, women in the country are also given greater roles alongside their male counterparts and thus showing clearly the sincerity of the present government.
About 100 FORUM Wanita (Women) members were present at the tea party.
Guests were treated with Kelabit delicacies and cuisine.
Orang Ulu happy with BN govt — Federation
Posted on March 12, 2011, Saturday
MIRI: The Orang Ulu are happy with the present BN government, which recognised contribution of the minority ethnic groups toward nation building.
Federation of Orang Ulu Associations Sarawak, Malaysia (FORUM) Wanita Wing chairlady councillor Kijan Toynbee said the government treated the small Orang Ulu community well as some have jobs in the government and private sectors.
“The Orang Ulu have high hopes toward BN government that have proven to champion the people’s interest including the minority,” Kijan said to The Borneo Post during the International Women Day celebration Tea Party organised by Wanita FORUM held at Tuah Cafe near Miri Airport yesterday afternoon.
According to Kijan, members of the community are happy because they continue to enjoy tremendous development under BN government that is sincere towards the people and its priority to the rakyat.
Kijan who is also a political secretary to Chief Minister said, the community would continue giving their undivided support to the visionary BN leaders to bring more development to Sarawak including the rural areas.
At the same time, she said, the government also recognised the role of women in the country and state as they form pillars of success to their male counterparts.
She said, women in the country are also given greater roles alongside their male counterparts and thus showing clearly the sincerity of the present government.
About 100 FORUM Wanita (Women) members were present at the tea party.
Guests were treated with Kelabit delicacies and cuisine.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Students Lend A Helping 71 At Paddy Harvesting
http://brudirect.com/index.php/2011031042069/Local-News/students-lend-a-helping-71-at-paddy-harvesting.html
Students Lend A Helping 71 At Paddy Harvesting
Written by NYL
Friday, 11 March 2011 06:49
0ShareBandar Seri Begawan - Thirty-four student council members of Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit Girls Arabic Religious Secondary School (SUAMPRIPAD) recently joined the residents of Kampong Bekiau in a get-together to harvest paddy.
Organised jointly by the students' affairs body, co-curricular and sports and recreational units of the school, the programme was aimed to develop a sense of community and social responsibility amongst the participants while learning about the process of paddy planting.
The group, led by the head of Students Affairs, Ustazah Yati, binti haji Mohd Yusof, was briefed on the paddy planting and harvesting activities by the field owner, Awang Rahim bin Hj Idris; who later guided the teachers and pupils in harvesting `beras pusu'.
According to Awang Rahim, his family still practises the traditional method of growing rice, which is once a year. Since his farm is located in lowland swamp area, the suitable rice varieties grown there are bario, adan and pusu.
He also explained to them that the paddy planting cycle starts around August and September when the fields are prepared for planting. Around October, the rice from the nursery is transplanted and left to grow. Finally, between December and March, the rice grains are ready for harvest.
Later, the participants tried their hands at harvesting the ripe paddy. With the sun beating down on them it was hard work. Nevertheless, they felt a sense of satisfaction every time their takiding (rattan basket) was filled with paddy and had to be emptied.
For those who had never harvested paddy before in their lives, it was indeed a memorable and great learning experience . -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
Students Lend A Helping 71 At Paddy Harvesting
Written by NYL
Friday, 11 March 2011 06:49
0ShareBandar Seri Begawan - Thirty-four student council members of Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit Girls Arabic Religious Secondary School (SUAMPRIPAD) recently joined the residents of Kampong Bekiau in a get-together to harvest paddy.
Organised jointly by the students' affairs body, co-curricular and sports and recreational units of the school, the programme was aimed to develop a sense of community and social responsibility amongst the participants while learning about the process of paddy planting.
The group, led by the head of Students Affairs, Ustazah Yati, binti haji Mohd Yusof, was briefed on the paddy planting and harvesting activities by the field owner, Awang Rahim bin Hj Idris; who later guided the teachers and pupils in harvesting `beras pusu'.
According to Awang Rahim, his family still practises the traditional method of growing rice, which is once a year. Since his farm is located in lowland swamp area, the suitable rice varieties grown there are bario, adan and pusu.
He also explained to them that the paddy planting cycle starts around August and September when the fields are prepared for planting. Around October, the rice from the nursery is transplanted and left to grow. Finally, between December and March, the rice grains are ready for harvest.
Later, the participants tried their hands at harvesting the ripe paddy. With the sun beating down on them it was hard work. Nevertheless, they felt a sense of satisfaction every time their takiding (rattan basket) was filled with paddy and had to be emptied.
For those who had never harvested paddy before in their lives, it was indeed a memorable and great learning experience . -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
Land in the balance
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/11/focus/8207863&sec=focus
Friday March 11, 2011
Land in the balance
By DATUK RANITA MOHD HUSSEIN
In the last decade, the indigenous peoples of Malaysia have been driven to unprecedented action on the streets and in the courts by the increasingly blatant takeover of their lands by third parties.
“Whenever there is a conflict between human rights and property rights, human rights must prevail” —Abraham Lincoln.
THE old man cried before the magistrate as he pleaded for the return of his land – land pledged as security to ensure his son’s attendance in court. The son had absconded and the land became liable to forfeit.
The land had been occupied and cultivated by his family for many years; he had surrendered the land title as security for the bond at his son’s urging and his wife’s pleas; and so to confiscate his land now would be to take away his heritage, his home and his only source of income.
The episode gave the young magistrate an early foretaste of the edge of despair that can accompany a claim to land and its subsequent loss.
Malaysia practises the Torrens System of land registration, devised in Australia in 1858.
The law sanctions private ownership, specifying forms of tenure, their benefits and rights. A title serves as a certificate of full, indefeasible, valid ownership.
Yet, in the evolution of land ownership, there was a time when private rights over land were unknown. There remain communities around the world where land rights are regarded as communal rights, as in the case of the indigenous peoples of Malaysia. Such customary tenure was not contemplated in the Torrens System.
The last 10 years have seen relentless action by the indigenous peoples of Malaysia in their fight for land rights. They were driven to unprecedented action on the streets and in the courts by the increasingly blatant takeover of their lands by third parties.
What, then, are the interests of the indigenous people over land?
In The Orang Asli and the UNDRIP: From Rhetoric to Recognition, authors Colin Nicholas, Jenita Engi and Teh Yen Ping say that customary land is “a living entity, with a spirituality and sacredness of its own” for the orang asli of Peninsular Malaysia.
“The land ... provides food, clothing, medicines, fuel and all materials necessary for their existence. The land is also the school house of their children and the resting place of their ancestors. It is the land ... which gives life and meaning to their whole being.
“Such a relationship goes beyond material and economic succour as it is inextricably linked with the orang asli’s ethos on the land. This ethos is described as representing ‘a quality of being and living which is integrated, humane and egalitarian. The attitude is to enjoy the fruits of the here and now without risking the next generation and to ensure continual enjoyment of scarce resources in a situation of relative plenty’.”
In East Malaysia, the land tenure customs of the Kelabit, Iban, and Penan and other native communities are an integral part of their community and their historical, cultural and religious traditions.
Universiti Malaya’s associate professor in law Dr Ramy Bulan says in Legal Perspectives in Native Customary Land Rights in Sarawak that these customs underpin the occupation of their lands, their territorial domains and their connection to their ancestral lands.
Important features include the maintenance of uncultivated jungle within their areas, its use for hunting, gathering food, and commemorating significant events and people.
Is our land system adequate to cater for the needs and requirements of the Indigenous Peoples?
In Peninsular Malaysia, The Aboriginal Peoples Act, 1954, provides for the gazette of aboriginal areas and aboriginal reserves. However, this status can, at any time, be revoked by the Government, sometimes without the knowledge of the orang asli.
To date, only 19,222.15ha out of the 127,698.54ha earmarked as aboriginal areas have been gazetted, note Nicholas, Engi and Teh.
Furthermore, orang asli rights relating to timber, sand, plants and fruits are frequently extracted by non-orang asli parties who encroach, purportedly with the permission of various government agencies.
In Sarawak, the Land Code 1958 provides for the recognition of native customary land. It also allows the indigenous people to claim ownership over lands which they have occupied and have exercised native customary rights (NCR).
However, the provisions of the Land Code and their implementation have not worked in their favour.
The Land Code only recognises the fact of settlement or cultivation as being sufficient occupation of land to enable a native to be issued NCR.
This means that natives who lead a largely nomadic existence are left out of the equation. Even when sufficient occupation is shown, slow and laborious implementation of the law defeats resolution of many claims.
The pre-requirement that claimed land be surveyed prior to issue of title can be a long, arduous and painful exercise.
Conversely, the provision in the law allowing easy grant of leases of unalienated land to third parties if they are within a development area, plus the provision empowering the minister to extinguish native customary rights should the land be required for a public purpose, have been used to grant rights for mining and timber extraction over native lands to disastrous effect.
To resolve their land claims, the indigenous peoples have resorted to the courts as seen in re Nor Nyawai (2006), re Adong (1998, 2005), re Sagong (2002) and re Madeli (2007).
The courts there gave clear recognition to native customs and tradition as evidencing the right of indigenous people over their land. It was also held that non-documentary native title constitutes a property right in and to the land.
Generally, these decisions challenge how Malaysian laws governing land matters and native customary rights have been drafted, construed or implemented.
A year ago, the National Land Council responded with a policy that effectively overrides customary land concepts and existing claims.
It purports to allocate land in peninsular Malaysia, totalling 50,000 hectares, to heads of orang asli households. Titles will not be issued until the land is planted with rubber or oil palm by authorised third parties and the plants reach maturity. Thereafter, the land cannot be transacted for 15 years.
In unveiling the 10th Malaysia Plan, the Prime Minister reiterated “The Government is ... considering to grant land titles to the orang asli and bumiputra of Sabah and Sarawak. This will enable them to benefit from integrated agricultural development programmes through the agropolitan and contract farming approaches.”
The Government’s policy has met with strong opposition from the orang asli who deplore the idea of being given land which already belongs to them, and for not being consulted over an issue that threatens to end their traditional ways.
What alternative is there?
An Asian Development Bank regional study on communal land rights found that the assumption made by many Asian governments that the introduction of private property and large-scale agriculture would improve the national economy and the standard of living of Indigenous Peoples have proved false in Sarawak.
It stated: “A ... land tenure system such as the Ibans’ can be more adaptable, efficient, and productive than a single land tenure system created out of the historical accident of European physiocracy. Thus, even if a government opts for a policy of individual land titles and freehold as the basis of a modern land tenure system, it can still consider how to build the new policy on the well-tested, community-based, traditional tenure systems.”
The question of indigenous peoples’ interests in land is not merely a tenure problem to be slotted within the Torrens System. The question embraces economic, social, cultural and spiritual dimensions that are rooted in basic human rights – not least of all, equality.
Undoubtedly, this approach will underlie Suhakam’s planned national inquiry on customary land issues this year.
As advocated by the Australian Human Rights Commission, “a non-discriminatory approach to protecting indigenous people’s inherent right to land must be adopted. This measures the extent to which the law permits indigenous property rights to be enjoyed against the extent to which the law permits the enjoyment of other property rights by all Australians.”
In the Malaysian context, the extent to which the law permits indigenous property rights to be enjoyed must ensure equal enjoyment of other fundamental rights available to all Malaysians under the Federal Constitution.
A review of current well-meaning government policy and effort is imperative to achieve this balance.
Datuk Ranita Mohd Hussein has served as Chief Parliamentary Draughtsman, adviser to Bank Negara and Suhakam commissioner. She was also a Judicial Commissioner in the High Court of Malaya and a former member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. She is on the Asia Pacific Forum’s Advisory Council of Jurists and is chair of the Securities Industry Dispute Resolution Centre here.
Friday March 11, 2011
Land in the balance
By DATUK RANITA MOHD HUSSEIN
In the last decade, the indigenous peoples of Malaysia have been driven to unprecedented action on the streets and in the courts by the increasingly blatant takeover of their lands by third parties.
“Whenever there is a conflict between human rights and property rights, human rights must prevail” —Abraham Lincoln.
THE old man cried before the magistrate as he pleaded for the return of his land – land pledged as security to ensure his son’s attendance in court. The son had absconded and the land became liable to forfeit.
The land had been occupied and cultivated by his family for many years; he had surrendered the land title as security for the bond at his son’s urging and his wife’s pleas; and so to confiscate his land now would be to take away his heritage, his home and his only source of income.
The episode gave the young magistrate an early foretaste of the edge of despair that can accompany a claim to land and its subsequent loss.
Malaysia practises the Torrens System of land registration, devised in Australia in 1858.
The law sanctions private ownership, specifying forms of tenure, their benefits and rights. A title serves as a certificate of full, indefeasible, valid ownership.
Yet, in the evolution of land ownership, there was a time when private rights over land were unknown. There remain communities around the world where land rights are regarded as communal rights, as in the case of the indigenous peoples of Malaysia. Such customary tenure was not contemplated in the Torrens System.
The last 10 years have seen relentless action by the indigenous peoples of Malaysia in their fight for land rights. They were driven to unprecedented action on the streets and in the courts by the increasingly blatant takeover of their lands by third parties.
What, then, are the interests of the indigenous people over land?
In The Orang Asli and the UNDRIP: From Rhetoric to Recognition, authors Colin Nicholas, Jenita Engi and Teh Yen Ping say that customary land is “a living entity, with a spirituality and sacredness of its own” for the orang asli of Peninsular Malaysia.
“The land ... provides food, clothing, medicines, fuel and all materials necessary for their existence. The land is also the school house of their children and the resting place of their ancestors. It is the land ... which gives life and meaning to their whole being.
“Such a relationship goes beyond material and economic succour as it is inextricably linked with the orang asli’s ethos on the land. This ethos is described as representing ‘a quality of being and living which is integrated, humane and egalitarian. The attitude is to enjoy the fruits of the here and now without risking the next generation and to ensure continual enjoyment of scarce resources in a situation of relative plenty’.”
In East Malaysia, the land tenure customs of the Kelabit, Iban, and Penan and other native communities are an integral part of their community and their historical, cultural and religious traditions.
Universiti Malaya’s associate professor in law Dr Ramy Bulan says in Legal Perspectives in Native Customary Land Rights in Sarawak that these customs underpin the occupation of their lands, their territorial domains and their connection to their ancestral lands.
Important features include the maintenance of uncultivated jungle within their areas, its use for hunting, gathering food, and commemorating significant events and people.
Is our land system adequate to cater for the needs and requirements of the Indigenous Peoples?
In Peninsular Malaysia, The Aboriginal Peoples Act, 1954, provides for the gazette of aboriginal areas and aboriginal reserves. However, this status can, at any time, be revoked by the Government, sometimes without the knowledge of the orang asli.
To date, only 19,222.15ha out of the 127,698.54ha earmarked as aboriginal areas have been gazetted, note Nicholas, Engi and Teh.
Furthermore, orang asli rights relating to timber, sand, plants and fruits are frequently extracted by non-orang asli parties who encroach, purportedly with the permission of various government agencies.
In Sarawak, the Land Code 1958 provides for the recognition of native customary land. It also allows the indigenous people to claim ownership over lands which they have occupied and have exercised native customary rights (NCR).
However, the provisions of the Land Code and their implementation have not worked in their favour.
The Land Code only recognises the fact of settlement or cultivation as being sufficient occupation of land to enable a native to be issued NCR.
This means that natives who lead a largely nomadic existence are left out of the equation. Even when sufficient occupation is shown, slow and laborious implementation of the law defeats resolution of many claims.
The pre-requirement that claimed land be surveyed prior to issue of title can be a long, arduous and painful exercise.
Conversely, the provision in the law allowing easy grant of leases of unalienated land to third parties if they are within a development area, plus the provision empowering the minister to extinguish native customary rights should the land be required for a public purpose, have been used to grant rights for mining and timber extraction over native lands to disastrous effect.
To resolve their land claims, the indigenous peoples have resorted to the courts as seen in re Nor Nyawai (2006), re Adong (1998, 2005), re Sagong (2002) and re Madeli (2007).
The courts there gave clear recognition to native customs and tradition as evidencing the right of indigenous people over their land. It was also held that non-documentary native title constitutes a property right in and to the land.
Generally, these decisions challenge how Malaysian laws governing land matters and native customary rights have been drafted, construed or implemented.
A year ago, the National Land Council responded with a policy that effectively overrides customary land concepts and existing claims.
It purports to allocate land in peninsular Malaysia, totalling 50,000 hectares, to heads of orang asli households. Titles will not be issued until the land is planted with rubber or oil palm by authorised third parties and the plants reach maturity. Thereafter, the land cannot be transacted for 15 years.
In unveiling the 10th Malaysia Plan, the Prime Minister reiterated “The Government is ... considering to grant land titles to the orang asli and bumiputra of Sabah and Sarawak. This will enable them to benefit from integrated agricultural development programmes through the agropolitan and contract farming approaches.”
The Government’s policy has met with strong opposition from the orang asli who deplore the idea of being given land which already belongs to them, and for not being consulted over an issue that threatens to end their traditional ways.
What alternative is there?
An Asian Development Bank regional study on communal land rights found that the assumption made by many Asian governments that the introduction of private property and large-scale agriculture would improve the national economy and the standard of living of Indigenous Peoples have proved false in Sarawak.
It stated: “A ... land tenure system such as the Ibans’ can be more adaptable, efficient, and productive than a single land tenure system created out of the historical accident of European physiocracy. Thus, even if a government opts for a policy of individual land titles and freehold as the basis of a modern land tenure system, it can still consider how to build the new policy on the well-tested, community-based, traditional tenure systems.”
The question of indigenous peoples’ interests in land is not merely a tenure problem to be slotted within the Torrens System. The question embraces economic, social, cultural and spiritual dimensions that are rooted in basic human rights – not least of all, equality.
Undoubtedly, this approach will underlie Suhakam’s planned national inquiry on customary land issues this year.
As advocated by the Australian Human Rights Commission, “a non-discriminatory approach to protecting indigenous people’s inherent right to land must be adopted. This measures the extent to which the law permits indigenous property rights to be enjoyed against the extent to which the law permits the enjoyment of other property rights by all Australians.”
In the Malaysian context, the extent to which the law permits indigenous property rights to be enjoyed must ensure equal enjoyment of other fundamental rights available to all Malaysians under the Federal Constitution.
A review of current well-meaning government policy and effort is imperative to achieve this balance.
Datuk Ranita Mohd Hussein has served as Chief Parliamentary Draughtsman, adviser to Bank Negara and Suhakam commissioner. She was also a Judicial Commissioner in the High Court of Malaya and a former member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. She is on the Asia Pacific Forum’s Advisory Council of Jurists and is chair of the Securities Industry Dispute Resolution Centre here.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Swiss NGO Links Los Angeles Killing to Timber Corruption in Malaysia
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2011/2011-03-09-01.html
Swiss NGO Links Los Angeles Killing to Timber Corruption in Malaysia
BASEL, Switzerland, March 9, 2011 (ENS)
Protests over timber corruption that has made a billionaire of the chief minister of the Malaysian state of Sarawak and enriched his family at the expense of the state's indigenous and other citizens have spilled over to the streets of San Francisco, Seattle, Ottawa and London.
A Swiss nonprofit organization is asking the law enforcement authorities in the United States to investigate what they allege is a murder on U.S. soil and illegally acquired assets stashed in the United States as well as other countries.
A logpond on Sarawak's Limbang River (Photo courtesy Bruno Manser Fund)
Sarawak stretches for over 750 kilometers (465 miles) along the northeast coast of the island of Borneo. Once blanketed with highland and lowland tropical rainforests, over the past 30 years the rainforests have disappeared, driven by the demands of the logging industry.
Malaysia's deforestation rate is increasing faster than anywhere else in the world, but until now, facts about the people and companies responsible for deforesting Sarawak have been shrouded in secrecy.
A new report released today by the Swiss Bruno Manser Fund exposes the Sarawak timber industry's complex structure and its links to Abdul Taib Mahmud, who has been Sarawak's Chief Minister since March 26, 1981. Elections will soon be held in Sarawak, likely within the next six weeks.
Abdul Taib Mahmud (Photo courtesy Bruno Manser Fund)
In February, the nonprofit Bruno Manser Fund launched an international campaign against what the group calls "the blatant corruption and abuse of public funds" by Taib and his family and political associates.
The organization, based in Basel, is named in honor of Swiss citizen Bruno Manser who disappeared in Sarawak while defending the rights of the indigenous nomadic Penan people. Manser was last seen in May 2000 in the isolated village of Bario, Sarawak; he was declared legally dead in 2005.
The new report, "Development of global timber tycoons in Sarawak, East Malaysia - History and company profiles," is authored by Daniel Faeh of the University of Bern's Economic Geography Group.
Faeh identifies "the specific politico-economic situation in Sarawak" as the main driver behind the state's rapid deforestation, particularly the fact that Chief Minister Taib, who is also minister of planning and resource management, "has absolute control over the allocation of timber licences and logging concessions to himself, his allies, friends and family."
"As a result," writes Faeh, "it is not surprising that the land claims of local indigenous groups have been systematically neglected."
For 30 years, indigenous people across Sarawak have been beaten, arrested, jailed and killed defending their traditional forest lands against forced development.
Today in San Francisco, anti-Taib demonstrators went to the Citibank branch at 260 California Street in the city center. The building is the seat of Taib's Sakti International Corporation, which used to be headed by the late Ross Boyert.
Ross Boyert (Photo courtesy BMF)
After having been dismissed by the Taibs, Boyert filed legal action against Sakti in a San Francisco court in early 2007.
Boyert, who administered the Taib family's U.S. properties for 12 years, was found dead last September in a Los Angeles hotel room with a plastic bag tied around his head.
In an interview with the London-based Sarawak Report given weeks before his death, Boyert said he and his family had been harassed and terrorized by Taib agents ever since he had filed the case.
The Bruno Manser Fund, together with an international NGO coalition against Taib timber corruption, is asking the U.S. authorities to freeze all Taib assets in the United States and to investigate Boyert's allegations against the Taibs and the circumstances of his death.
Anti-Taib demonstrators in front of the FBI's Northwest Regional Headquarters in Seattle, located in a building owned by Taib family members. (Photo courtesy BMF)
The Bruno Manser Fund says the Taib family "has profited immensely from the destructive logging of Sarawak's tropical rainforests and today has a stranglehold over the state's economy." Among the companies controlled by the Taibs are Achi Jaya, which has a monopoly on log exports.
The Swiss NGO and its supporters have published a list of Taib's "secret" foreign assets and are urging the governments of Australia, the British Virgin Islands, Canada, Hong Kong, Jersey, and the United Kingdom as well as Malaysia, to investigate the financial transactions of these 49 companies under their respective anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering legislations and to freeze all Taib family assets for later restitution to the people of Sarawak.
On March 3, anti-Taib protesters appeared in front of the Taib-owned Abraham Lincoln building in downtown Seattle, where the Northwestern Regional Headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, are located.
The Seattle property is held through Wallysons Inc. The Bruno Manser Fund says Wallysons' chairman is Taib's son, Sulaiman (Rahman) Taib, while Taib's Canadian son-in-law, Sean Murray, is its president.
The Bruno Manser Fund and its allies are asking the FBI to investigate the financial transactions of Wallysons and other Taib-controlled properties in the United States. When demonstrators attempted to enter the building to speak with FBI investigators, they were denied entry.
Anti-Taib demonstrators in Ottawa, Canada (Photo courtesy BMF)
On February 28, anti-Taib demonstrators appeared on the streets of Ottawa and London in an attempt to publicize what they called timber corruption and victimization of indigenous people in Sarawak.
The Bruno Manser Fund lodged a detailed complaint in June 2010 with Jeanne Flemming, director of Canada's Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre, FINTRAC, over the Canadian government's business ties with Taib family companies.
The complaint centers on the fact that 11 Ontario Government ministries are occupying offices at Sakto's Preston Square Tower III in Ottawa.
The Sakto Corporation, an Ottawa property developer, was founded in 1983 by Onn Mahmud, Taib's brother.
The Bruno Manser Fund alleges that the company's rapid development has been funded with illegal timber trade kickbacks channelled through two Hong Kong businesses.
FINTRAC has left the complaint unanswered.
In the report published Tuesday, Faeh writes that Sarawak's timber industry is more than a Malaysian issue - it is a cause for global concern.
In the late 1980s, Sarawak experienced one of the most rapid log clearances in Southeast Asia.
With these profits, timber groups from Sarawak such as Samling, Rimbunan Hijau, WTK, KTS, Shin Yang and Ta Ann accumulated capital which allowed them to expand their business operations all over the globe. They are now operating not only in Southeast Asia but also in Australia, Africa, Central and South America, Russia and the Pacific, the report states.
Faeh writes, "Their track records of diversification and internationalization, however, go hand in hand with the violation of human rights, political patronage and the destruction of the environment in their home country and many other parts of the world."
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2011. All rights reserved.
Swiss NGO Links Los Angeles Killing to Timber Corruption in Malaysia
BASEL, Switzerland, March 9, 2011 (ENS)
Protests over timber corruption that has made a billionaire of the chief minister of the Malaysian state of Sarawak and enriched his family at the expense of the state's indigenous and other citizens have spilled over to the streets of San Francisco, Seattle, Ottawa and London.
A Swiss nonprofit organization is asking the law enforcement authorities in the United States to investigate what they allege is a murder on U.S. soil and illegally acquired assets stashed in the United States as well as other countries.
A logpond on Sarawak's Limbang River (Photo courtesy Bruno Manser Fund)
Sarawak stretches for over 750 kilometers (465 miles) along the northeast coast of the island of Borneo. Once blanketed with highland and lowland tropical rainforests, over the past 30 years the rainforests have disappeared, driven by the demands of the logging industry.
Malaysia's deforestation rate is increasing faster than anywhere else in the world, but until now, facts about the people and companies responsible for deforesting Sarawak have been shrouded in secrecy.
A new report released today by the Swiss Bruno Manser Fund exposes the Sarawak timber industry's complex structure and its links to Abdul Taib Mahmud, who has been Sarawak's Chief Minister since March 26, 1981. Elections will soon be held in Sarawak, likely within the next six weeks.
Abdul Taib Mahmud (Photo courtesy Bruno Manser Fund)
In February, the nonprofit Bruno Manser Fund launched an international campaign against what the group calls "the blatant corruption and abuse of public funds" by Taib and his family and political associates.
The organization, based in Basel, is named in honor of Swiss citizen Bruno Manser who disappeared in Sarawak while defending the rights of the indigenous nomadic Penan people. Manser was last seen in May 2000 in the isolated village of Bario, Sarawak; he was declared legally dead in 2005.
The new report, "Development of global timber tycoons in Sarawak, East Malaysia - History and company profiles," is authored by Daniel Faeh of the University of Bern's Economic Geography Group.
Faeh identifies "the specific politico-economic situation in Sarawak" as the main driver behind the state's rapid deforestation, particularly the fact that Chief Minister Taib, who is also minister of planning and resource management, "has absolute control over the allocation of timber licences and logging concessions to himself, his allies, friends and family."
"As a result," writes Faeh, "it is not surprising that the land claims of local indigenous groups have been systematically neglected."
For 30 years, indigenous people across Sarawak have been beaten, arrested, jailed and killed defending their traditional forest lands against forced development.
Today in San Francisco, anti-Taib demonstrators went to the Citibank branch at 260 California Street in the city center. The building is the seat of Taib's Sakti International Corporation, which used to be headed by the late Ross Boyert.
Ross Boyert (Photo courtesy BMF)
After having been dismissed by the Taibs, Boyert filed legal action against Sakti in a San Francisco court in early 2007.
Boyert, who administered the Taib family's U.S. properties for 12 years, was found dead last September in a Los Angeles hotel room with a plastic bag tied around his head.
In an interview with the London-based Sarawak Report given weeks before his death, Boyert said he and his family had been harassed and terrorized by Taib agents ever since he had filed the case.
The Bruno Manser Fund, together with an international NGO coalition against Taib timber corruption, is asking the U.S. authorities to freeze all Taib assets in the United States and to investigate Boyert's allegations against the Taibs and the circumstances of his death.
Anti-Taib demonstrators in front of the FBI's Northwest Regional Headquarters in Seattle, located in a building owned by Taib family members. (Photo courtesy BMF)
The Bruno Manser Fund says the Taib family "has profited immensely from the destructive logging of Sarawak's tropical rainforests and today has a stranglehold over the state's economy." Among the companies controlled by the Taibs are Achi Jaya, which has a monopoly on log exports.
The Swiss NGO and its supporters have published a list of Taib's "secret" foreign assets and are urging the governments of Australia, the British Virgin Islands, Canada, Hong Kong, Jersey, and the United Kingdom as well as Malaysia, to investigate the financial transactions of these 49 companies under their respective anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering legislations and to freeze all Taib family assets for later restitution to the people of Sarawak.
On March 3, anti-Taib protesters appeared in front of the Taib-owned Abraham Lincoln building in downtown Seattle, where the Northwestern Regional Headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, are located.
The Seattle property is held through Wallysons Inc. The Bruno Manser Fund says Wallysons' chairman is Taib's son, Sulaiman (Rahman) Taib, while Taib's Canadian son-in-law, Sean Murray, is its president.
The Bruno Manser Fund and its allies are asking the FBI to investigate the financial transactions of Wallysons and other Taib-controlled properties in the United States. When demonstrators attempted to enter the building to speak with FBI investigators, they were denied entry.
Anti-Taib demonstrators in Ottawa, Canada (Photo courtesy BMF)
On February 28, anti-Taib demonstrators appeared on the streets of Ottawa and London in an attempt to publicize what they called timber corruption and victimization of indigenous people in Sarawak.
The Bruno Manser Fund lodged a detailed complaint in June 2010 with Jeanne Flemming, director of Canada's Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre, FINTRAC, over the Canadian government's business ties with Taib family companies.
The complaint centers on the fact that 11 Ontario Government ministries are occupying offices at Sakto's Preston Square Tower III in Ottawa.
The Sakto Corporation, an Ottawa property developer, was founded in 1983 by Onn Mahmud, Taib's brother.
The Bruno Manser Fund alleges that the company's rapid development has been funded with illegal timber trade kickbacks channelled through two Hong Kong businesses.
FINTRAC has left the complaint unanswered.
In the report published Tuesday, Faeh writes that Sarawak's timber industry is more than a Malaysian issue - it is a cause for global concern.
In the late 1980s, Sarawak experienced one of the most rapid log clearances in Southeast Asia.
With these profits, timber groups from Sarawak such as Samling, Rimbunan Hijau, WTK, KTS, Shin Yang and Ta Ann accumulated capital which allowed them to expand their business operations all over the globe. They are now operating not only in Southeast Asia but also in Australia, Africa, Central and South America, Russia and the Pacific, the report states.
Faeh writes, "Their track records of diversification and internationalization, however, go hand in hand with the violation of human rights, political patronage and the destruction of the environment in their home country and many other parts of the world."
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2011. All rights reserved.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sarawak Natives File Historical Land Rights Case
http://www.world-wire.com/news/1103070002.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sarawak Natives File Historical Land Rights Case
Kelabit, Penan and Lun Bawang plaintiffs join forces to claim 1770 km2 of tropical rainforests in Upper Limbang, Sarawak – first land rights litigation uniting three ethnic groups in Malaysian Borneo
MIRI, MALAYSIA; March 7, 2011; --/WORLD-WIRE/--
For the first time in the history of Malaysia, natives from three different tribes have filed a joint land rights litigation. This morning, representatives from the Kelabit, Penan and Lun Bawang communities of Upper Limbang, Sarawak, on the island of Borneo have filed a joint land rights litigation at the Miri High Court in which they are claiming native customary rights over 1770 km2 of tropical forests in the Limbang river basin. The case is being represented by native rights lawyer Baru Bian who also heads the Sarawak branch of the oppositional Justice Party (PKR).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sarawak Natives File Historical Land Rights Case
Kelabit, Penan and Lun Bawang plaintiffs join forces to claim 1770 km2 of tropical rainforests in Upper Limbang, Sarawak – first land rights litigation uniting three ethnic groups in Malaysian Borneo
MIRI, MALAYSIA; March 7, 2011; --/WORLD-WIRE/--
For the first time in the history of Malaysia, natives from three different tribes have filed a joint land rights litigation. This morning, representatives from the Kelabit, Penan and Lun Bawang communities of Upper Limbang, Sarawak, on the island of Borneo have filed a joint land rights litigation at the Miri High Court in which they are claiming native customary rights over 1770 km2 of tropical forests in the Limbang river basin. The case is being represented by native rights lawyer Baru Bian who also heads the Sarawak branch of the oppositional Justice Party (PKR).
Map of the disputed forest land. 
Baru Bian with plaintiffs in front of the court where the case was filed.
The joint claim over an area twice the size of Singapore is directed against the Sarawak state government and four Malaysian logging and plantation companies that had been given concessions over the native lands without the communities’ consent. The companies listed as defendants are Ravenscourt Sdn Bhd, Billion Venture Sdn Bhd, Limba Jaya Timber Sdn Bhd and Kubang Sri Jaya Sdn Bhd. Ravenscourt is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Samling group which has recently been blacklisted by the Norwegian government for its involvement in illegal activities and environmentally destructive logging.
The Kelabit, Penan and Lun Bawang plaintiffs have been living in the Upper Limbang region for hundreds of years. Since the early 1980s, the region has been logged under a number of logging concessions. Currently, the area is being threatened by a major dam project on the Limbang river and the conversion of secondary forests into oil palm and paper tree plantations. All this while, the native communities had no say whatsoever on the use of their native lands by the Sarawak government and had only received ridiculous compensation payments by some logging companies who made millions of the dollars from logging the tropical hardwoods in the region.
After having lodged the case, representatives of the native communities displayed a banner in front of the Miri High Court building which read “Indigenous people taking action for change to save the last remaining Sarwak rainforest”. Currently, close to 200 native communities from Sarawak have challenged the state government over its land rights policies. The native land issue is also a heated subject during the runup to the next state election which is to be held before July 2011. - Ends –
Please contact us for more information:
Bruno Manser Fund, Socinstrasse 37, 4051 Basel, Switzerland, Tel. +41 61 261 94 74
http://www.bmf.ch/
http://www.stop-timber-corruption.org/>
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Special Master Plan To Develop Remote Areas In Sarawak
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=568240&cat=sre
March 03, 2011 18:12 PM
Special Master Plan To Develop Remote Areas In Sarawak
BINTULU, March 3 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak government is drawing up special master plans to develop Hulu Baram and Kapit, two remote areas in the state, as tourist destinations, said Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, Thursday.
He said the master plans would focus on tourism based on culture and the environment in the areas concerned.
Rais said a special committee chaired by him would be formed to carry out a comprehensive study on the plans.
"The study would begin after the conclusion of the state election while implementation would start during the 10th Malaysia Plan period," he told reporters after opening a seminar on Development and Leadership for Community Leaders, here.
Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Land Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr James Masing and Tourism Deputy Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit would be among the members of the special committee, he said.
Taib, who is also Sarawak Planning and Resource Management Minister, said community leaders in Hulu Baram and Kapit would also be absorbed into the committee.
He said the plans would benefit residents in the two areas which were lagging behind in terms of development compared to Sibu, Bintulu, Miri and Kuching.
He said both areas had unique cultural history as they were the earliest settlements for the Orang Ulu and Iban ethnic groups in Sarawak that could attract the tourists.
The benefits derived from the plans might not be felt in the early years of their development but would be enjoyed 20 years from now, he added.
-- BERNAMA
March 03, 2011 18:12 PM
Special Master Plan To Develop Remote Areas In Sarawak
BINTULU, March 3 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak government is drawing up special master plans to develop Hulu Baram and Kapit, two remote areas in the state, as tourist destinations, said Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, Thursday.
He said the master plans would focus on tourism based on culture and the environment in the areas concerned.
Rais said a special committee chaired by him would be formed to carry out a comprehensive study on the plans.
"The study would begin after the conclusion of the state election while implementation would start during the 10th Malaysia Plan period," he told reporters after opening a seminar on Development and Leadership for Community Leaders, here.
Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Land Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr James Masing and Tourism Deputy Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit would be among the members of the special committee, he said.
Taib, who is also Sarawak Planning and Resource Management Minister, said community leaders in Hulu Baram and Kapit would also be absorbed into the committee.
He said the plans would benefit residents in the two areas which were lagging behind in terms of development compared to Sibu, Bintulu, Miri and Kuching.
He said both areas had unique cultural history as they were the earliest settlements for the Orang Ulu and Iban ethnic groups in Sarawak that could attract the tourists.
The benefits derived from the plans might not be felt in the early years of their development but would be enjoyed 20 years from now, he added.
-- BERNAMA
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