Adenan’s heart with people, state

http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/03/01/adenans-heart-with-people-state/

by Philip Kiew. Posted on March 1, 2014, Saturday

Adenan (second left) is at home in rural Sarawak in this picture taken in 2003.

HE REGARDS Sarawak as heaven on earth, cultural diversity and harmony.  As a former Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries Sarawak, he knows every nook and corner of the state, having intimate knowledge of their needs and peculiarities.

His continuous call for unity resonates throughout the state in multi-racial and religious settings, while his efficiency in the public service makes him stand out in the state’s political and social landscape.

Everyone has a different idea of who or what he is, but everyone agrees that he has a sharp analytical mind, is a brainy and decisive leader and an experienced hand in affairs of the state and it’s state of affairs.

After 35 years as elected representative and 28 years holding state and federal cabinet posts, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem is now ready to write the next chapter in leading Sarawak with effect from his swearing-in yesterday.

SUPP publicity and information secretary Datuk Sebastian Ting (left) extending his congratulations
to then CM-designate Adenan.

He is as public a figure as it gets in Sarawak, but has strangely remained an enigma to many who do not know him up close.

To those close to him, he is also known as a hotshot in game hunting in his younger days, a fishing enthusiast, an avid reader and a sci-fi movie buff.

To his immediate circle, he is a wonderful person; generous, compassionate, insightful and humorous.
To the political circle, he is a no-nonsense, incisive leader with the knack of reading one’s mind.

His eyes may be closed when the speeches are getting underway, but his brain is anything but idle.

His collected thoughts, wits and message collate into rib-tickling but flourishing speeches without fail at many functions he officiates.

His predecessor Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud on one occasion managed to lace an explanation and advice with humour in addressing complaints of aloofness against the former.

Saying Adenan had a heart of gold, Taib said this thinking minister was always so engrossed in his thoughts that he could literally walk into glass walls.

The minister was officiating a function in Miri when it was reported in the press, and with a laugh, he later told this author that a reply was in order.

His tongue-in-cheek riposte was: “I thank the Chief Minister for his kind words, and will try to remember not to walk into glass walls,” which was reported in the The Borneo Post and Utusan Borneo.

A decade ago in Buduk Nur in Ba Kelalan, he publicly declared having a soft spot for the Orang Ulu communities in the interior of Sarawak.

“I will always find an excuse to visit Orang Ulus since the days of Datuk Balan Seling and Datuk Racha Umong because I like them- simple as that,” he said, agreeing with the remark of his close friend and then Ba Kelalan state assemblyman, the late Datuk Dr Judson Sakai, that the minorities in Sarawak have a friend in Adenan.

Adenan is also a stickler for education and remaining true to one’s roots.

Years back, he told parents at a seminar in Lawas: “My mother was responsible for my becoming a minister, and she has always paid attention despite being illiterate, making sure that I ate, clothed and went to school.”

She also made it a point to monitor his conduct and progress from primary school to university level, but letting him enjoy the freedom to play after school.

On the political scene, he worked best behind the scenes with results which speak for themselves.
He was instrumental in bringing back Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) back into the BN fold after the Ming Court Affair in 1987, paving the way for political stability which has lasted to this day.

Under his watch as Chief Minister in this challenging transition period, Sarawak can look forward to responsible, matured and experienced leadership from Adenan and his team.

His conviction and approach is reflected in a speech he gave in 2005 at the opening of the Triennial General Meeting of PBB Marudi, Senadin, Piasau and Lambir divisions.

“The greater the power, the greater is the responsibility to uphold political stability and with power comes big responsibilities which you must carry as the biggest successful political party, “ he said.

A united front by PBB as the backbone of the state BN is expected by the Chief Minister cum party president in his call at the party’s supreme council meeting that all the senior leaders from president to vice-presidents should be returned uncontested for the sake of unity.

“This is to avoid any split and unhappiness which is bound to happen no matter what Hollywood (play-acting) and handshakes displayed before any contest,” said Adenan back then.

The smooth transition and unity in PBB despite the three horse-race for the Chief Minister post involving him, deputy president Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg and senior vicepresident Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan speaks of the inherent leadership policy of the party he will inherit.

“Our stand is to bring as many people with the same wavelength under one umbrella and that is the reason why PBB is the most successful party in the state while SNAP split to PBDS, PRS and whatever remains,“ he said in 2005.

Adenan’s experience in the last 35 years as elected representative and 28 years with ministerial portfolios has drummed home clearly the reality of minorities working together with the majority to keep up with the mainstream.

“You have to go with the flow or risk being left high and dry like debris on the river bank,“ he said.

Adenan (left) presenting a token of appreciation to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Feb 14, this year in Lundu as Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu (centre) looks on.

Speaking at a Rurum Kelabit function in Miri in 2005, Adenan said he made it a point that minorities tend to be marginalised, and he is inclined to use whatever high positions held to reach out to them- irrespective of whether they were Kelabits, Kayans, Lun Bawangs or even the small Indian community.

His Kelabit name is ‘Maran Ribet’ meaning ‘Handsome Nobleman’.

He was bestowed the name over a decade ago, and the community is likely to invite him for another name-changing ceremony to reflect his current status.

Admitting his love for the highland countryside, with its tranquility of nature in remote places, he said the peace and quiet is a refreshing experience for the weary mind, away from the hustle-bustle of the cities, the rat races and the madding crowd.

Idris Jala must not defend the 10-point formula

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/96077

2014-02-25 11:55

By BOB TEOH

Idris Jala's defence of the Cabinet's position over the'Allah-Alkitab' crisis and 10-point issue is untenable because it is fundamentally flawed. Although he made it clear that this is his personal opinion, Idris is basically defending the Cabinet over an indefensible policy.

The Cabinet's 10-point solution in 2011 is flawed because it is essentially a one-country-two-laws policy.

This is both wrong and unacceptable.


The 10-point was imposed unilaterally by the Cabinet although discussions with some church leaders were held behind closed-door. The Christian Federation of Malaysia, the umbrella body, immediate response was to reject the 10-point. Other church organisations, denominations and pastors' fellowship adopted a similar posture with the exception of the Bible Society of Malaysia, which is not a spokesman of the church in any case but a Bible bookshop.

The use of the word 'Allah' predates Islam. It is not exclusive to Islam. The 10-point fails to understand this.

A senior pastor pointed out just last week that on the Day of Pentecost as described in the Book of Acts in the New Testament, Arabs as well as people of other ethnicities were present on that occasion, 600 years before the Qur'an was compiled. The Bible also pointed out each people group was declaring "the wonders of God in their own tongues" (Acts 2:11). The Arabs would have no doubt used the word 'Allah' to refer to God.

In the Malay speaking world, portions of the Bible was first translated (in Indonesia) in 1612 in which the word God was translated as 'Allah.' This was not only the first non-European translation of the Bible but it was done well ahead of any translation of the Qur'an into Malay. Even the legendary Munshi Abdullah translated the Bible into Malay preferring the word 'Allah' for God. The Christians were, therefore, first to use the word 'Allah' in the Malay language Bible. This puts to rest the argument that the word 'Allah' is exclusive to Muslims. The principle is that the first to use the term is entitled to claim priority over those who used it later. Again, the 10-point has missed this moot point.

Even as Islam is the religion of the Federation, freedom of religion for each and every citizen remains a most fundamental human right of every citizen recognised and protected by the Federal Constitution. This, the Cabinet has failed to accept or understand.

So fundamental is this right that even when a state of emergency rule is proclaimed under Article 150 of the Constitution, among other things, our right to freedom of religion cannot be tampered with or removed. We have lived through several emergencies or marshal law periods in our short history. Yet not once has our fundamental right to freedom of religion been curtailed or set aside.

Sub-clause 6A of Article 150 is clear: "… nor shall Clause (6) validate any provision inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution relating to any such matter or relating to religion…"

This plainly means freedom of religion remains protected and guaranteed by our Constitution even under emergency rule.

The supremacy of the Constitutional guarantee and protection of our freedom of religion becomes clear at once, when read together with Articles 3 and 11. The safeguard of freedom of religion, as rightly pointed out by Idris Jala, is further amplified in what is known as the 18 and 20-point agreements submitted by the Sarawak and Sabah governments for inclusion into the new Constitution for Malaysia in 1963.

We are also acutely aware that freedom of religion is also a cornerstone of United Nations conventions on fundamental human rights and that the state should not intervene in matters of religion.

This was the position rightly taken by the High Court in the Herald case when it decided on 31 Dec 2009 that the Home Minister was wrong in imposing a condition that the weekly Catholic Herald's annual publishing permit would only be renewed if it did not use the word 'Allah' to refer to God in its Bahasa edition.

Sadly, last year the Court of Appeal reversed the High Court judgment by ruling that the usage of the word 'Allah' is not integral to Christianity. In doing so the Court of Appeal went beyond its jurisdiction and has usurped the ecclesiastical jurisdiction that belonged solely to the Church in Malaysia. It is up to the Federal Court now to restore the status quo. The remedy can be by a consent judgment.

Idris Jala's contention is that Article 11 (4) allows for the various so-called State Islamic Enactments to "control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam". That may be so, but the operative words are "control" and "restrict". But the various State Islamic authorities started gazetting fatwas "prohibiting" non-Muslims from using a slew of words like 'Allah'. This "prohibition" is clearly in violation of the Constitutional provision. This strikes at the heart of the supremacy of the Constitution.

Many have called for Idris Jala to resign from the Cabinet over the 10-point. Many are also aware of Idris Jala's Christian heritage from the Kelabit Highlands, the Bible Belt of Malaysia. He preached his first sermon while in Form Three way back in October 1973. Some believed him while some others doubted. The rest is history.

But history repeats itself. Today, when Idris Jala to tries to preach religious tolerance, there are many who believe in him just as there are doubters. I may disagree with Idris Jala, but as a fellow believer I would still listen to his sermon.

Back to Borneo, and an Eden at Risk

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/travel/back-to-borneo-and-an-eden-at-risk.html?_r=0

By KAREN J. COATES 

FEB. 21, 2014

Pa Lungan in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia. Credit Jerry Redfern for The New York Time

 There are no roads to the village of Pa Lungan, just a mucky water buffalo trail beneath a tight-knit canopy — among the last standing highland jungles on the island of Borneo. In spots, the trail is more swamp than path. But that does not mean all is quiet: The rain forest is a cacophonous place. Cicadas squeal and monkeys hoot as they romp through the trees. Bamboo creaks in the breeze as its stalks grind and rub in a primitive dance.

Our journey through Borneo began seven years ago, when, on a whim, my husband and I visited the Kelabit Highlands, situated in Sarawak, one of two Malaysian states on the island. I’d been invited to a conference in the capital city of Kuching; with some time on our hands, we headed to this remote region, most easily accessible by turboprop plane, which flew a few times each week from Miri, on the coast, to the small town of Bario. (The alternatives were many hours, even days, on precarious logging roads, or several weeks on foot through the forest.) 

Thanks to a reporting fellowship, we found ourselves back in the Highlands last year. Things had changed somewhat — that flight now leaves twice daily, and a newly graded dirt road eases travel in and out of Bario. 

The town had grown slightly — more houses, a few concrete-slab roads — but the tempo had not. Bario Asal, the town’s original longhouse, remains, albeit a bit quieter than in years past. But local families still gather by unvented fires in a common area filled with smoke and chitchat. Tourists come to see this. “More tourists, every day,” a Kelabit elder named Jenette Ulun said — one or two a day, sometimes a dozen. “There are more tourists than us locals,” she joked.

Photo

The Parill family at the Bario Asal longhouse. Credit Jerry Redfern for The New York Times

For centuries, the Kelabit people lived isolated lives, best known to the outside world as champion headhunters. But that began to change under the reign of the so-called White Rajahs, a British family by the name of Brooke, who reigned in Sarawak from 1841 to 1946 and tried to rid the region of headhunting. 

Meanwhile, Christian missionaries converted the Kelabits in the 1940s and clamped down on alcohol consumption. Ever since, the Kelabits, who now number about 6,000, have gladly practiced evangelical Christianity with ceremonies far less laborious than their old animist rituals, they say. And the Kelabits have modernized in other ways: Gone are skulls hanging from the rafters, replaced by fireside cellphones and laptops.

Until a few years ago, travelers came for the “Bario Loop,” and other multiday treks organized by local Kelabit guides that hugged the Indonesian border through jungles now logged. These days, most visitors take shorter hikes and experience Kelabit culture in local homes.

Photo

Typical Kelabit fare (pounded rice cake, chicken soup, mushroom soup and fried wild vegetables) at Henry Lagang’s guesthouse in Pa Dalih. Credit Jerry Redfern for The New York Times

On our first trip to Bario, my husband and I lodged at De Plateau, a homestay near the forest leading to Pa Lungan. I remember the cold-water showers and the outdoor sink, which faced a panorama of blue-green hills bathed in flowery air. Dinners consisted of fried wild boar, fiddlehead ferns and sautéed, burgundy-red ginger flowers.

We hired a guide who led us up and down a sodden trail, a foot-long blade called a parang hanging from a scabbard at his hip. Five hours on, we found Pa Lungan, set like a mountain oasis amid verdant, dewy grasses and sparkling ponds. That’s where we met Walter Paran, our village host. He took us to his wooden house set on stilts, where we met his wife, Moriaty, and his then-toddler daughter, Mujan. Walter’s mother squatted by a blackened hearth, tending a pot of simmering cucumber. “Very simple food,” Walter said.

Photo

Kids take a sunset joyride around the Pa Dalih longhouse in Sarawak, Malaysia. Credit Jerry Redfern for The New York Times

We also met Walter’s brother, Pasen Mado Inan, who praised the forests around him. “Most of the things we need for every day come from the jungle,” he said. He feared it would disappear — the trucks were getting closer. “We hate the logging.”

Walter asked us to return so he could take us deeper into the forest, “before logging disturbs that side.” As my husband and I flew out of Bario a few days later, we saw early evidence of what he feared. Below, thick jungle turned to naked hills laced with ruddy roads. “No one can stop them,” our pilot said. “It’s disgusting.”

Photo

One of the guest rooms at the Jungle Blues Guesthouse in Bario, Sarawak, Malaysia. Credit Jerry Redfern for The New York Times

For years, I wondered what became of Walter, his family and their forests. I read of jungles all over Borneo, chopped and cleared, replanted with palms. To raze a rain forest is to bulldoze one of the earth’s biggest carbon stores. To erase this forest would also be to annihilate an age-old way of life. 

Seven years later, we returned, again flying a turboprop into Bario. This time, we stayed with Stephen Baya, a Kelabit artist, and his Danish wife, Tine Hjetting, in their homestay-gallery called Jungle Blues Dream, in a longhouse overlooking the wild yonder of rice paddies, homes and wooded hills that disappeared each morning in a shroud of fog. Stephen, a self-taught artist, fills his wooden walls with vivid trees of life, a motif that symbolizes, for him, a “journey never-ending.” Stephen was born in the Highlands but spent years working for Hilton, Holiday Inn and a Printemps department store elsewhere in Malaysia. He prefers Bario. Living the city life, he said, means “always having to think about tomorrow, think about next week.”

Photo

Walter Paran, a local guide. Credit Jerry Redfern for The New York Times

When I told Stephen of my search for Walter, he relayed the message. Spotty cellphone coverage now permeates parts of the jungle. (We later learned that if Walter wedges his phone into one particular window and stands back, he can sometimes maintain a conversation.) Walter successfully received Stephen’s message and said he awaited our arrival.

Stephen drove us to the road’s end, and from there, we hoofed it, packs on backs, sticks in hand. Along the way, elements of our first trip came back: the tests of balance provided by bridges the width of two logs that spanned streams and broad swaths of mud; an avenue of palms beneath higher, old-growth trees. We stopped at the palms, sat on a log and ate canned chicken curry. In the distance, we heard what sounded like faint, high-pitched voices. There were no trails, no villages, no one around. Perhaps it was wind, making the treetops squeak. Elders later spoke of talking spirits that occasionally spook villagers on foot in the forest.

Pa Lungan was idyllic as ever. We found Walter’s home, but he was out somewhere. Moriaty and Mujan, who was 9 by the time of our return visit, offered us instant coffee, fried shrimp crackers and a seat at their long wooden table. After a cold bucket shower and a short rest, we joined a party next door: Village hunters had caught a boar that morning, and its head crackled on the fire. They offered strips of hot, juicy fat and grilled petai beans, known for their sulfuric stench but delicious flavor.

The sky that evening was a spectacle of tropical-fruit colors: tangerine, passionfruit, papaya. Then darkness fell, and Walter’s generator rumbled on. The power allowed for a few efficiency lights, and a TV — the latter an addition since our previous visit. Mujan lay under a blanket, watching Bruce Lee chop his way through “Fist of Fury.” 

In the morning, we were greeted by Walter, who remembered us and had many things to share. He wanted to show us why tourists still come to Pa Lungan. “They love the place because it’s still green,” he said. 

Nearby Pulong Tau National Park was expanded in 2008, creating a buffer between his village and the logging threat, he told us. He said Pa Lungan remains a “nice, quiet place” — for now.

Together, we hiked a nearby mountain, across the soft earthen floor beneath palms that Walter’s ancestors had planted generations ago. The forest was dense. “This one you can call primary jungle,” he said. From there, we scrambled a near-vertical climb to the hilltop, where a giant metal cross, placed by someone from Pa Lungan (its exact origins are murky), was dedicated to “God’s saving grace”; a sign commemorates the need to avoid bringing “anything detestable” into the land. Below, Pa Lungan seemed to float in an undulating sea of trees. 

That’s Indonesia, Walter said, pointing to the horizon. He added: “Other side of the mountain, they already logged.” He eyed the area behind the cross, toward another area that had already been logged. From this vantage, we could also see Pulong Tau. Walter hoped the park would last, that its boundaries would hold; not all government decisions do, he had told us earlier. 

Walter knew he was living in an Eden at risk, but has always said he will fight for it. “I’m the one who’s always fighting against this logging,” he told me in 2006. 

Today, he has more hope for this view, still intact. We peered across thick stands of trees where Walter had taken us foraging for edible palms and rattans, and bamboos with liquid inside. He said he could live in that forest on the food and drink it provided. It had, after all, sustained centuries of people before him. “That’s why we need to keep our jungle,” he said.

Bario, and most Kelabit villages, offer homestay lodging with meals included.

Jungle Blues Dream (junglebluesdream.weebly.com) charges 70 ringgit per person per day, about $21 at 3.25 ringgit to the dollar. The owners can help arrange guides (typically 80 to 100 ringgit a day) and lodging elsewhere. Prices for homestay lodgings generally range from 50 to 90 ringgit a day.

Several Pa Lungan villagers welcome guests, at similar rates, including Walter Paran; arrange in advance from Bario or simply show up.

A version of this article appears in print on February 23, 2014, on page TR8 of the New York edition with the headline: Back to Borneo, and an Eden at Risk. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe

Sarawak pays price of 'third world maintenance'

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/242094

25.09.13

By Dukau Papau

Several water treatment plants and windmills in rural Sarawak are “not functioning”, according to state PKR head Baru Bian, who wants the government and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to step in.

The projects, which have cost millions of ringgit to build, install and operate, are under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.

Bian cited the example of a water treatment plant in his constituency of Ba’Kelalan in Lawas, which had cost the government more than RM3 million to build.

“The plant is (meant) to pump water from Sungai Muda into tanks where it is then filtered to supply clean water to the Budur Nur village of more than 70 households. But untreated and murky water has (been) supplied to the households.

“Now there is no money to buy diesel - costing about RM1,000 a month - to run the plant, which is not maintained at all. I’m told there are a few of these in Sarawak, and there are similar problems at each.”

Bian also highlighted the case of windmills, including three in Bario, which are not working and therefore unable to generate electricity for villages.

“Each windmill is worth RM6 million. Imagine, these were constructed at the foot of a hill where there is no wind ... one has (even toppled over),” he said, noting that windmills in other countries are either located on a hilltop or in an open area.

“The construction of (all) these projects (in Sarawak) is a clear waste of public funds. The amount spent could well run over RM100 million.

“This money should have been used to repair schools or teachers’ quarters in my constituency that are badly in need of repair.

“In one primary school in my constituency, the teachers and parents came up with their own money to repair the teachers’ quarters, as their request for funds was not met.”

Bian said he believes the projects were implemented to pacify the rakyat who have been angry that they have been neglected.

“This tactic was done during election time,” he said, accusing the BN government of wasting public funds as well as “cheating the people”.

Remote communities now into high-yielding rubber planting

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/08/16/remote-communities-now-into-high-yielding-rubber-planting/

by Karen Bong, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on August 16, 2013, Friday

KUCHING: The Penan and Kelabit communities in the most remote settlements in Baram have already started with the planting of high-yielding rubber.

This was disclosed by Modernisation of Agriculture Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr Alfred Jabu yesterday, who also said a total of 72 Penan families in Long Beruang and 60 Kelabit families in Long Peluan participated in the scheme on 520 hectares of land. Jabu, who is also Rural Development Minister, pointed out that the project is part of the state government’s Rural Transformation Programme to eradicate poverty.

“The government’s aim is to help lift people out of poverty, especially those in the remotest interior of Sarawak, through agriculture,” he added.

Jabu was at the Kuching Borneo Convention Centre (BCCK) here to open the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) Farm Development Committee Members Seminar.

“Backed by biotechnology advancement, we have now started planting the high quality rubber trees,” he said.

“We hope that the participants can generate sustainable income through the rubber plantation after four years (maturity). It is hoped that they can earn at least RM2,000 per month per family once the rubber trees reach maturity for tapping,” he emphasised. The project, introduced early last year, was launched by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The first phase of the project involved the clearing of land, building of infrastructure such as road to the estate and nursery for rubber saplings, followed by planting.

As rural development minister, Jabu said he would not be deterred by the unique challenges and difficulties faced in the rural interiors.

“Understandably, Baram located about 15 hours drive from Miri in good weather, is hardly accessible but despite the difficulties, I still choose to start the project,” he said. Thus, Jabu hopes that the participants can see the fruits of their hard work after four or five years and in turn change their negative perception of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

“We hope to give the opportunities to the nomadic Penans, especially those who have been negatively influenced by certain non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to see the commitment of the BN government,” he said.

Proposed township to benefit Telang Usan — Rep

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/08/15/proposed-township-to-benefit-telang-usan-rep/

Posted on August 15, 2013, Thursday

MIRI: The proposed Baram Hydroelectric Project (HEP) new township will bring many benefits to the Telang Usan constituency such as increasing the people’s standard of living.

Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau told The Borneo Post yesterday that the plan showed the government’s willingness and effort to develop and transform Baram into a better and more developed constituency by 2020.

“Personally, I agree with the proposal to turn this constituency into a modern one, while still reflecting the culture and traditions of the multi-ethnic people living in Baram.

“The people must understand that the proposed Telang Usan new township will also become a boost for tourism that surely will improve the livelihoods of the people in Baram,” he said.

Dennis pointed out that many members of the Orang Ulu community from Ulu Baram have achieved success in life, but did not return to the longhouses and contribute to the community.

“If this Telang Usan new township is built one day, it will also open many doors for job opportunities for these young people to go back to their roots and contribute something to the people and our country’s economic growth,” he said.

He urged Baram folk, especially the younger generation, to look at the positive side of the proposal which would benefit them and their families.

“Many opportunities will be given to them, especially job opportunities such as in the tourism industry,” he added.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said the proposed township would have elements reflecting the rich history of the Kayans, Kenyahs and Kelabits, who migrated from East Java to Batang Kayan in Indonesia before settling in Kapit and Baram.

Community leaders voice support for Barisan Nasional candidate Anyi Ngau

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/04/19/community-leaders-voice-support-for-barisan-nasional-candidate-anyi-ngau/

Posted on April 19, 2013, Friday

MARUDI: Several community leaders here have pledged their support for Anyi Ngau, the new face to defend Baram parliamentary seat for Barisan Nasional (BN).

Kenyah paramount chief Temenggong Pahang Deng said the Orang Ulu community both in upper Baram and Tinjar should back Anyi, as he was appointed and entrusted by BN’s top leadership to continue bringing development to the constituency.

“He has been chosen and thus I urge the Orang Ulu community in Baram, especially voters, to give their full support to him no matter what,” he said yesterday.

Pahang said Anyi has a lot of experience from his time as a civil servant.

“He has a long history of working as Sarawak administrative officer (SAO), district officer in a few areas in the state and has served as a district officer for nine years in Limbang.

“He has what it takes with that background. He is not someone new to the people in Baram,” he said.

Meanwhile, Penghulu Freddie Abun, a Kelabit community leader from Long Lellang-Long Seridan said his community would continue to support the BN.

“Overall, we are satisfied with the nomination of Anyi Ngau as BN’s candidate for the seat. We will support him,” he said.

Freddie said should Anyi win the seat on May 5, he should continue all the projects underway and bring even more development to improve the standard of living of the people in the area.

Swiss NGO warns Taib’s London lawyers

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/03/29/swiss-ngo-warns-taibs-london-lawyers/

FMT Staff | March 29, 2013 

 

Bruno Manser Fund is also urging the Companies Commission of Malaysia to deregister two companies mentioned in the Global Witness video.

KUCHING: An international NGO has challenged Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s British lawyers to explain their statement that the Sarawak government “issues licenses for land under very controlled circumstances”.

The London-based lawyers had, in response to an article published earlier this week in British daily The Independent, linking Taib to the massive deforestation in Sarawak, said: “The government of Sarawak issues licences for land in very controlled circumstances… This is an administrative exercise, not political patronage.

“Our client never demands or accepts bribes for the grant of licences and leases.”

Mishcon de Reya represents Taib, his Canadian son-in-law Sean Murray and their extensive global businesses network.

But Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), which is in the forefront of the ‘Freeze Taib’s assets’ and ‘Stop Timber Corruption’ campaigns, today challenged Mishcon deReya to clarify what it meant by “government of Sarawak issues licences for land in very controlled circumstances…”

BMF research had shown that Taib and his family members are reportedly sitting on 31 companies in Sarawak and have been allotted 200,000 hectares of land – equivalent to the size of Singapore.

“(We) challenge Mishcon de Reya to explain why, in these “very controlled circumstances”, close to 200,000 hectares of Sarawak state land ended up in the hands of oil palm plantation companies in which Taib family members have a known business interests.”

BMF noted that in the wake of Global Witness ‘sting’ video release exposing the level of corruption linked to Taib, Mishcon de Reya “is coming into the spotlight over their dodgy role”.

“The Bruno Manser Fund calls on Mishcon de Reya to drop the Sarawak Chief Minister and his family members as their customers,” it said in a statement.

Deregister companies

Earlier this week BMF had also urged the Companies Commission of Malaysia to deregister two Sarawak companies for their alleged involvement in criminal activities.

The two companies – Billion Venture Sdn Bhd and Ample Agro Sdn Bhd – were exposed last week by Global Witness in a secretly recorded video.

In the film, Taib’s cousins – Fatimah and Norlia Rahman Yakub who owned Ample Agro – and two Sarawak lawyers “blatantly admitted that the two companies are being used to illegally” enrich the family and a Taib crony by selling off state-owned land to foreign investors.

Billion Venture which was issued a provisional lease is currently being sued by natives who are claiming that the land is their native customary right.

“Billion Venture is a defendant in Sarawak’s biggest land rights litigation which was jointly filed by Kelabit, Penan and Lun Bawang plaintiffs in March 2011.

“The natives’ land claim has been struck out by the High Court of Sarawak on formal grounds but is currently on appeal.”

In view of this, BMF said the “companies should be deregistered immediately to prevent their assets from being sold off to third parties by illegal means.”

Undercover sting exposes Malaysia land-grab

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/03/2013318131755948174.html

Allegations of corruption get louder following secret tapes showing plunder of resource-rich Sarawak province.

 

Florence Looi Last Modified: 19 Mar 2013 09:12

 

(video)

 

Long Napir, Malaysia - Plantations and logging are ravaging Malaysia's majestic Borneo region and indigenous people who have lived for centuries here say they are increasingly being uprooted from their once-pristine lands.  But as the timber and palm oil companies swarm over the rugged landscape of resplendent rivers and ancient rainforests, villagers in Long Napir in the country's biggest state Sarawak have vowed to thwart any further land-grabs.  The village is a settlement of longhouses, the traditional communal housing favoured by indigenous people in eastern Malaysia's Borneo island. Under the Sarawak Land Law, indigenous people have rights over areas as long as they can prove they have lived in or used the lands prior to January 1, 1958. "We have no land to farm, our rivers have become muddy, there's hardly any fish left anymore." - Tamin Sepuluh Ribu, villager But the surrounding ancient rainforests that are so essential to their traditional way of life is under threat because of logging and plantation companies. Over the past 30 years, Sarawak - one of the richest Malaysian states - has become one of the largest exporters of tropical timber.  Despite its wealth, profits have failed to trickle down, and the people here are some of the poorest in the country. Long Napir villagers lay the blame for their plight squarely on one man: the state's powerful chief minister, Abdul Mahmud Taib, who is in charge of all land classification and the allocation of lucrative forestry and plantation licenses.  "He lives, the rest of us suffer," Tamin Sepuluh Ribu, a former village headman, told Al Jazeera. "We have no land to farm, our rivers have become muddy, there's hardly any fish left anymore."  'Coterie of cronies'  Global Witness, a non-governmental organisation working against environmental exploitation, has investigated and exposed the situation in remote eastern Malaysia.   An undercover Global Witness investigator posing as an investor was offered several opportunities to purchase land in Sarawak by company officials linked to Chief Minister Taib. In each instance, the land in question was occupied by indigenous communities, who have valid claims to ownership rights under Malaysian law.  Global Witness said the indigenous areas were being sold by companies with close personal or political ties to the chief minister.  Taib has held the post since 1981, and has been repeatedly accused of corruption during his nearly 32-year rule. The US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur noted in one cable released by WikiLeaks: "Chief Minister Taib Mahmud … doles out timber-cutting permits while patrolling the underdeveloped state using 14 helicopters, and his family's companies control much of the economy."  The American cable added that, "All major contracts and a significant portion of land to be converted to palm oil plantations [including on indigenous 'customary land rights' that the state government has refused to recognize] are given to these three companies." People in Sarawak are "fed up" with Taib's administration, "seen as only enriching his family and a small coterie of cronies", it said. A Penan girl deep in the Borneo rainforests [EPA] Under investigation Global Witness released a November 2012 report titled, "In the future, there will be no forests."  "Taib's powerful executive position and personal responsibility for the issuance of lucrative logging and plantation licences has enabled him to systematically extract 'unofficial payments' from the state's timber tycoons for the enrichment of himself and his family," the report said. Taib, meanwhile, denied the corruption allegations as "wholly untrue and malicious", said the report. In 2011, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission launched an official investigation into Taib, which continues at present. In secretly taped negotiations provided to Al Jazeera, the Global Witness investigator discussed buying land with company shareholders Fatimah Abdul Rahman and Norlia Abdul Rahman - Taib's first cousins. Fatimah admitted the parcel of land under discussion had been transferred to them by Chief Minister Taib. "Yeah, he's the one who gave us the land. He's my cousin," Fatimah said, laughing.  In 2011, Taib gave his cousins 5,000 hectares of land for about $300,000 dollars, according to leaked land registry documents. Having secured agriculture and timber licences, they were trying to sell it a year later for more than $16mn. Later, discussing the ease of receiving a forestry license, Fatimah told the Global Witness investigator: "The Land and Survey Department, they are the ones that issue this licence. Of course, this is from the CM's [Chief Minister's] directive, but I can speak to the CM very easily." Fatimah and Norlia did not respond to Al Jazeera's requests for comment. 'Naughty people' Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud is accused of graft [Reuters] Over the years, Taib's government has sought to limit the exercise of indigenous land rights. More than 200 land dispute cases are now before Sarawak courts, brought on behalf of claimants from indigenous communities. Jannie Lasimbang, Malaysia’s National Human Rights Commissioner, told Al Jazeera that numerous amendments have eroded indigenous land rights over the years. “The commission is concerned about the high degree of frustration, anger and desperation among indigenous peoples,” Lasimbang said.  In 1994, the Sarawak government gave the minister in charge of land the power to extinguish Native Customary Rights to land. Two years later, it was legislated that land dispute cases were automatically to presume the land belongs to the state, and the burden of proof was shifted to the claimant. In 2011, the definition of "native" was amended to include "any party entering into a joint-venture plantation deal with the Land Custody and Development Authority".  In the secretly recorded conversations with Global Witness, Taib's cousins Fatimah and Norlia showed disdain and contempt for indigenous rights, describing local villagers as "naughty people".  "So the minute they hear this land has been given, has been titled to this company to do oil palm and what-not, they'll plonk themselves there," said Fatimah.  Her sister Norlia added, "They may harass you, that's all. They are actually squatters on the land, because the land doesn't belong to them. It's government land. So they're squatting." Scratching the surface The secret dealings caught on tape only scratch the surface of the Taib family's business interests. "I know people are talking about him [Taib] being corrupted and all, but I think who isn't in this world when they're leaders?" - Fatimah Abdul Rahman, Taib's cousin Leaked land registry documents analysed by Swiss non-governmental organisation Bruno Manser Fonds suggest that companies linked to Taib's family control about 200,000 hectares of land in Sarawak - an area twice the size of Hong Kong. Global Witness estimates it has a market value of $500mn.  Divorce settlement proceedings in Malaysia between one of Taib's son, Mahmud Abu Bakir Abdul Taib and his first wife Shahnaz Abdul Majid, also highlight the vast wealth of the family. The ex-wife testified that Mahmud had an estimated $233 million deposited in more than 100 bank accounts around the world.   In June 2011, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said it had launched an investigation into Chief Minister Taib, but gave no further details.  When Al Jazeera inquired about the progress of the case last month, the commission said it had "no comment on the matter".  Taib's office did not respond to Al Jazeera's request for an interview, but he has consistently denied allegations of corruption.  The family appears not view the accusations with much seriousness. As Taib's cousin Fatimah declared on tape: "I know people are talking about him [Taib] being corrupted and all, but I think who isn't in this world when they're leaders?" One villager in Sarawak promised not to allow the status quo to continue.  "We will fight on at all costs,” farmer Vincent Balingau told Al Jazeera. “We let them take timber in the past, but we had no idea they were planning to take our land."

Source: Al Jazeera

 

Global Witness video:  http://www.globalwitness.org/insideshadowstate/index.html

PKR leadership split over Baram candidate?

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/02/18/pkr-leadership-split-over-baram-candidate/

Joseph Tawie | February 18, 2013 

 

In the Baram parliamentary constituency, Ibans are the 'kingmakers' and Anwar Ibrahim should quickly realise this, says a grassroots PKR leader.

KUCHING: Barisan Nasional may retain – by default – its hold over the Baram parliamentary constituency given the confusion over who PKR will field in the coming general election.

Given the fact that 42% of Baram’s 29,000 strong electorate are Ibans, it seems most plausible that the opposition fields an Iban, but PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, however, seems to think otherwise.

Anwar allegedly announced a candidate – Roland Engan, a lawyer – from the Kenyah tribe as a candidate for Baram and this has not gone down well with the Kapit PKR wing which has been actively supporting Iban-boy Patrick Sibat Sujang.

According to Kapit PKR deputy chairman Baginda Minda, sidelining the Ibans “will be at our own risk”.

“You can’t ignore the Iban-factor. This is because the Ibans constitute 12,000 voters or about 42% of the 29,000-strong electorate as compared with Kayans of 6,800 voters, Kenyahs 4,700 and Penans and Kelabit 1,000 voters.

“Chinese and Malay comprise 2,600 and 1,700 voters respectively. If we ignore or sideline the Ibans, it will be at our own risk,” said Baginda, who is Sujang’s chief campaigner.

He was commenting on “unsettling” reports that Anwar had allegedly announced, on Feb 11 in Beluru, that Engan would be the candidate for Baram.

“(Now) the people in Baram are not only confused, but also want answers as to why Roland (Engah) is so special that he is the first PKR candidate to be confirmed ahead of about 70 other PKR candidates throughout the country.

“Is the hasty announcement an indication of trouble within the PKR?

“Was Anwar pressured to announce it in an impromptu manner as an attempt to pre-empt the growing influence of Patrick Sibat, especially among the Iban voters? Or was it an attempt to sideline the Iban voters?” asked Baginda.

Ibans are ‘kingmakers’

Baginda said if indeed Anwar had made the announcement then it would “offend the Ibans” and would be “a fatal mistake.”

Explaining further, Baginda said that although on the surface it may appear than the Ibans are “insignificant” given that they are not directly affected by the Baram dam issue, they were nonetheless “kingmakers”.

Citing examples, Baginda said in the 1990 parliamentary election, Harrison Ngau as an independent candidate contested against Luhat Wan of BN-Sarawak National Party (SNAP) in a three-cornered fight.

But with strong support from the Iban community from Marudi, Harrison won the seat with a majority of 839 votes. Sujang was one of those campaigned for Harrison.

If Ngau had depended solely on Kayan, Kenyah and Penan voters he would have lost.

Baginda said a similar scenario had occurred in Telang Usan constituency in the 2011 state election.

Here too, he said, Ibans played an important role.

He said in the 2011 state election, it was clear that the Kayan, Kenyah and Penan communities were split into two – 49% voted for a Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu-BN candidate Denis Ngau, while 51% voted for Ngau.

“The kingmakers here were some 3,000 Iban voters from Puyut and Lubok Nibong polling districts, and in the last state election, they threw their support to Dennis Ngau.

“Denis Ngau won by a majority of 845 votes,” Baginda said.

He expects a similar situation in the 13th general election.

Dam, a non-issue with Ibans

According to him whilst the proposed construction of the Baram dam might be a major issue among the Kayan, Kenyah and Penan communities, it was a non-issue with the Ibans, who were more concerned about infrastructure developments like roads and their native customary rights (NCR).

He said the 2011 state election clearly showed that although the proposed dam was likely to displace some 20,000 inhabitants from 26 Kayan, Kenyah and Penan longhouses and villagers, some 50% of the people from these three communities had not opposed the government and its plan.

Hence, keeping the Ibans happy is all the more important, said Baginda.

“For the Ibans, roads and NCR issues are most important…These are the issues that we [Sujang's group] are highlighting.

“Was Anwar misled into believing Roland [Engah] has the support of the Ibans? Personally, I believe that Roland will have an uphill task in Baram constituency.

“[Because] every time he holds a gathering, his crowd of about 300 or 400 is the same people who are members of the non-governmental organisations [NGOs].

“He [Engah] needs to have the support of the Iban voters.

“But will the Iban voters support him?” Baginda said.

Natives threaten army with court injunction

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/12/07/natives-threaten-army-with-court-injunction/

Joseph Tawie | December 7, 2012 

KUCHING: Angry villagers in Ba’Kelalan have threatened the Malaysian Royal Army Engineers Regiment with a court injunction if they persist in building the Ba’kelalan-Bario road.

 The construction of the RM40 million road connecting Ba Kelalan to Bario in Sarawak, at the cost of an essential water catchment area has angered local villagers.

“If need be, we will apply for a court injunction to stop the army contractors from proceeding with the road construction,” said Baru Bian, a lawyer and Ba’Kelalan assemblyman.

Bian said that he had written to the chief of the Armed Forces that the villagers did not want the road (Ba’Kelalan-Bario road) as it passes Sungai Muda, which is a water catchment area.

The villagers have instead proposed that road be built from Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario. This would then safeguard the catchment area.

“The villagers have objected to the road being built through Sungai Muda as it would affect the water catchment area at Sungai Muda,” he said.

Bian, who is Sarawak PKR chief, said he was disappointed with army’s reply that only a few people were against the road construction while the majority of the villagers were for it.

“The folks in Ba Kelalan wants to protect Sungai Muda because its destruction would affect the lives of about 2,000 villagers from Punan Kelalan, Long Muda, Long Kumap, Long Langai, Long Lemutut, Buduk Nur, and SK Ba’Kelalan, an international award winning school,” he said.

In the letter, the army also said that the few people who rejected the road were the supporters of the Bian and that it reflected a very bad image.

“I have submitted a list of 152 villagers who are against the construction, and I will be calling for a big meeting in Ba’Kelalan on Dec 16, 2012,” said Bian.

“If the army still persists in carrying out the construction, we will apply for an injunction. It is  typical  of the BN mentality to blame the problem on the opposition.”

What about NCR rights?

On the reason given by the army that it is a ‘security road’ having its strategic importance to the forward operation base along the border to Lapo Bunga Cam, Bian said that it appeared that the army refused to listen to the people.

“Are they are serving the people or are they serving their own interest?” he asked.
He also questioned whether the road was properly planned as there was no EIA report and did not appear to involve the state authorities.

“And what about the native customary rights land of the people? Have they been excised out? My suspicion is that the project is improperly done and I urge the army to listen to the people,” he said.
Last month the villagers set up a blockade at Pa’Patar and Arur Lutut which is near the water catchment area called Sungai Muda.

The villagers claimed that contractors had already cleared about a kilometre stretch of the jungle despite their disagreement to have the road built through Sungai Muda.

The villagers told reporters last month that the army had explained to them that they opted for the Sungai Muda route because it is 20km shorter than the Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario route, and thus would incur less cost.

The villagers, however, did not buy that story because the Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario route is already there and merely needed small improvements, such as culverts.

The construction of the RM42 million Ba Kelalan-Bario Road started on Oct 1 and is expected to be completed by Sept 2014.

Defence minister Ahmad Zaidi Hamidi said army would implement the project under the Blue Ocean Strategy, and the road was a continuation of the 75km Long Luping-Ba Kelalan Road which was completed in September last year.

Villagers set up blockades to halt Ba Kelalan-Bario Road project

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/11/12/villagers-set-up-blockades-to-halt-ba-kelalan-bario-road-project/#ixzz2BzoqQHYp

Posted on November 12, 2012, Monday

BLOCKADE: Ba’ Kelalan folks set up a blockade near Sungai Muda.

BA KELALAN: Cheesed off for being kept in the dark by the government and their elected representatives, about 20 villagers in Ba Kelalan set up blockades last Thursday to thwart construction of the Ba Kelalan-Bario Road before it destroys their water catchment area.

The blockade was erected at Pa’ Patar and Arur Lutut, which is near the water catchment area called Sungai Muda.

Villager Paren Padan claimed that the contractors had already cleared about a kilometre stretch of the jungle despite the villagers’ strong disagreement to have the road built through Sungai Muda.

“During a meeting which was held when Lawas MP Dato Henry (Sum Agong) came here, we agreed that the road be built through Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario because it would not affect our water catchment area in Sungai Muda.

“However, since then we have not received any more information or official word from the government, Henry nor Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian,” he claimed.

Paren added that his people sincerely hoped that the government would build the road through Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario, and urged their elected representatives to keep them updated on the latest happenings.

Construction of the RM42 million Ba Kelalan-Bario Road started on Oct 1 and is expected to be completed by Sept 2014.

According to a Bernama report in September, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zaidi Hamidi said heavy machinery from the Royal Army Engineers Regiment were already in Ba Kelalan to implement the project.

Ahmad Zaidi was quoted as saying that the project came under the Blue Ocean Strategy, and was a continuation of the 75km Long Luping-Ba Kelalan Road which was completed in September last year. That project, like the Ba  Kelalan-Bario Road project, is also a Jiwa Murni project.

The folks in Ba Kelalan are all out to protect Sungai Muda because its destruction would affect the lives of about 2,000 villagers from Punan Kelalan, Long Muda, Long Kumap, Long Langai, Long Lemutut, Buduk Nur and SK Bakelalan – an international award winning school.

Villagers told reporters last month that the Royal Army Engineers Regiment had explained to them that they opted for the Sungai Muda route because it is 20km shorter than the Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario route, and thus would incur less cost.

The villagers, however, did not buy that story because the Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario route already exist and merely needed small improvements, such as culverts.

Heart of Borneo forests a prized heritage – Kurup

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/11/08/heart-of-borneo-forests-a-prized-heritage-kurup/

Posted on November 8, 2012, Thursday

KOTA KINABALU: The conservation of the Heart of Borneo (HoB) forests is a matter of major local, national, regional and international concern because of the diversity of their unique array of plants and animals.

Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Malaysia Minister Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Kurup said at the closing ceremony of the International Conference on Heart of Borneo +5 and Beyond: “Shaping and nurturing Sabah’s future together” at Sutera Harbour Resort near here yesterday that the forests at HoB were also of critical value to the people and countries of Borneo as prized natural heritage and for the goods and services that they provide.

“Hence, the HoB areas must be effectively managed on the basis of sustainable land use planning and implementation with regard to the balance of ecosystem, socio-cultural, economic and political aspects within the respective nations,” he said.

Kurup said the country recognised the importance of HoB initiative, which was in harmony with existing policies, plans and programmes pertaining to sustainable development, land use and conservation, both at state and national levels.

“The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Malaysia views HoB as a significant initiative that will directly contribute towards the betterment in forest management and conservation,” he said.
He also assured of the federal government’s support.

“Malaysia reiterates the importance that this initiative be continued to be placed within the government’s sustainable development framework and policy,” he said.

Kurup said the HoB initiative is a conservation and sustainable development programme aimed at conserving and managing three countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.

He added that during the signing of the HoB Declaration almost five years ago, the three governments had recognised and committed to a set of measures and actions to ensure the sustainability of our efforts in managing and conserving a large tract of area that cradled the three countries, and which signified a practical and real effort by the HoB countries for the benefit of the future.

PBB Youth wing wants Orang Ulu assistant minister

http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/09/15/pbb-youth-wing-wants-orang-ulu-assistant-minister/


by WB Ongie, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on September 15, 2011, Thursday


MARUDI: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Telang Usan’s youth wing has joined the call for an Orang Ulu to be appointed assistant minister.

This follows an earlier call from the PBB Belaga youth wing.

PBB Telang Usan youth wing deputy chairman Councillor Garry Hashim Wan, who is a Berawan, said there has been no Orang Ulu assistant minister since the late Datuk Dr Judson Sakai Tagal.



Judson was Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office when he was killed in a 2004 helicopter crash.

“But at least the Orang Ulu have a representative at the federal level with Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan, who is Baram MP,” he said after a Marudi District Council (MDC) meeting recently.

Currently, there are two Orang Ulu assemblyman in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) — Liwan Lagang (Belaga) and Dennis Ngau Jok (Telang Usan).

Meanwhile, Councillor John Terawe, a Kelabit from Bario, also supported the call.

He said an Orang Ulu should be appointed minister in the state cabinet or at the very least assistant minister.

Highlanders invest in new beginning

http://elections.thestar.com.my/sarawak/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/17/sarawakpolls/8499957&sec=sarawakpolls

Sunday April 17, 2011

LAWAS: The people of the northern Sarawak highlands voted in a lawyer who has been championing their native land rights.

Baru Bian, the Sarawak PKR chairman, secured a majority of 473 votes against newcomer Willie Liau of Barisan Nasional to take the Ba’Kelalan seat in the Lun Bawang and Kelabit highlands.

He secured a total of 2,505 votes compared to Liau of SPDP who obtained 2,032 ballots.

Returning officer Ladin Atok announced the results at the Lawas District Council office at 7.35pm.


From lawyer to YB: Baru being surrounded by PKR leaders and members on nomination day.

A total of 4,585 or 65.09% of Ba’Kelalan’s 6,958 registered voters cast their ballots at 22 polling centres in the mountainous constituency, which is about 22 times the size of Penang.

Baru is widely respected among the highland’s Orang Ulu ethnic community for his legal work in representing them in their native customary rights issues mainly involving land matters.

“This is a victory for the people. They have spoken and they want change. This is the beginning of that change.

“This is a new beginning for Sarawak. The people want good governance, they want corruption to be wiped out and the state’s resources given back to them,” Baru said after the results were announced.

Asked whether his victory could be seen as a revolt of sorts among the Orang Ulu – comprising the Lun Bawang, Kelabit, Kenyah, Kayan and Penan who make up more than 88% of Ba’Kelalan voters – Baru said: “You can say that.”

He also described his victory as remarkable due to limited resources available, including funds, while campaigning in far-flung villages in the 6,398sq km constituency.

Baru, a Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) church elder, was also thankful for the prayers offered for him by his constituents as well as many others from Sarawak and around the world.

Meanwhile, Liau said his defeat stemmed from the Opposition’s effective use of various issues, including the native customary rights land and the seizing and stamping of Bibles.

Election Commission officers deployed to Ba Kelalan highlands

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=121909

Posted on April 16, 2011, Saturday

LAWAS: The Election Commission (EC) flew eight teams of Sarawak state election officers to the highlands in Ba Kelalan constituency yesterday by chartered fixed wing aircraft.

They will be stationed in Bario, Ba Kelalan and Long Lelang, with the furthest voting station being at Pa Ramudu.

The fixed wing aircraft from Layang-Layang Aerospace took off in fine weather from Lawas Airport at about 10.30am, supervised by N71 Ba Kelalan returning officer Ladin Atok.

He said a total of 27 teams have been deployed throughout the sprawling rural constituency with 6,985 registered voters.

The announcement of official results for Ba Kelalan would depend on the time the last team from the highlands reaches the counting centre at the Lawas District Council, with weather being the deciding factor.

The results of the 2004 by-election were held back by a day because votes from Long Lelang failed to reach Lawas on the same day. Throughout this week, the weather in the interior of Lawas and Baram has been rainy in the afternoons.

Ba Kelalan will see a straight fight between Willie Liau from Barisan Nasional (BN) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) Baru Bian.