Bringing JOY to the highlands

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/01/06/bringing-joy-to-the-highlands/

by Chang Yi. Posted on January 6, 2013, Sunday

JOANNA Joy is not only the MAS agent in Bario but also the owner of a large Bario pineapple garden and a homestay business.

PINEAPPLES FOR LUNCH: Kelabit friends bringing Bario pineapples for the afternoon meal prepared at the homestay. All dishes are individually cooked for each group.

A mother of two young adults who have been educated in Kuala Lumpur — one already working and the other completing his studies — she has, in response to the call of familial duty, returned to the Bario Highlands to look after her aged mother and adopted parents.

When she was a little girl, her parents allowed their relative to adopt her. So, she has two sets of parents like many of the indigenous people of Sarawak.

Joanna who had her early education in Bario, studied in Institut Teknologi Mara after completing secondary school. Upon graduation, she worked and got married and then found a job outside Bario – the usual story of young Kelabits. However, the highlands had been beckoning to her.

Her children are now fairly independent and chasing their own dreams. Her daughter has graduated with an MA in biotechnology from University Malaya and her son is studying to become an IT programmer from ITM.

The conditions were, thus, right for her to return and contribute to her hometown in the state’s scenic highlands.

Besides looking after her aging mother and adoptive parents, Joanna has put her time to good use by helping her people wherever she can. Presently, she is also holding down two jobs — as operational manager of Bario Airport and MAS agent.

She said she is not going to retire yet because she still has many dreams to fulfill. A few years ago, she started a pineapple farm on a piece of land near the airport. And not long ago, she opened a homestay business.

When friends from West Malaysia and overseas visit her, she is happy to show them her pineapple farm. She planted the young suckers with the help of her relatives, and is now harvesting as many as 10 to 15 fruits a day — sometimes more. Any surplus will be made into jam.

Challenging problems

However, Joanna has problems using her food processor to make jam. When the Bario dam is low, there is virtually no electricity for the community. And since power supply is dependent on the water level in the dam, it is not everyday that she can use her food processor to make jam. Fortunately, there is a generator at the secondary school in the area which she can rely on when the need arises.

HOME-MADE: Joanna’s home-made pineapple jam.

Joanna also faces a serious problem in her pineapple business. Sending the fruits by air to Miri is very expensive. She sells her pineapples at RM2 per kilo to passengers and relatives.

Malaysian Airlines allows free luggage of 10kg. Passengers are weighed before checking in with their hand luggage. Each pineapple easily weighs up to 3 kilos. If someone buys a box of pineapples, he or she may have to pay an extra RM30 surcharge because of excess baggage.

Relatives bringing a pineapple or two for their family or friends would usually wait for a friendly passenger to help hand-carry the fruits for them to Miri. That’s the way of the people in the highlands – always ready to help each other.

Besides pineapples, Joanna’s family also plant rice. If she cannot farm the land herself, she will ask other padi planters for help — perhaps on a sharecropping basis.

In the past, her parents had no problem planting enough rice to feed the whole family for a period of two years. Will she allow her land to lay fallow for the next few years?

In fact, Joanna is having to face many issues related to growing rice and pineapples in the highlands. Can she get a grant to start a pineapple jam cottage industry? She has been sourcing for help from friends and government agents but to no avail so far.

She sells her home-made jam at counters that are open to her but she has to remember not to over-produce because her refrigerator cannot operate 24 hours a day due to limited electricity supply in Bario.

Moreover, many of the better educated younger women who bemoan the lack of basic utilities – adequate electricity supply, for example – in the area have left to find work elsewhere.

Airport Homestay

WITH VISITORS: Joanna (right) and her visitors in front of her homestay.

Homestay business in Bario is irregular. Things usually pick up only during festive celebrations.

However, for holiday-makers – both local and foreign – homestay accommodation and related facilities are available in Bario as well as nearby villages which offer attractions like kayaking and salt mines.

One popular setup is Joanna’s Bario Airport Homestay which offers good food. The chef frequently comes up with “very refreshing dishes.” Fresh talipia from Joanna’s pond next to the homestay is available everyday!

Dessert consists of a huge plate of freshly-plucked pineapples, and vegetables bought from the surrounding homesteads although green-thumbed Joanna grows most of her own vegetables.

Joanna Joy is a shinning example of an enterprising Kelabit woman who meets her challenges with plenty of cheers. If the challenges she is facing can be overcome, many younger highlanders would probably stay back to work and help boost the local economy.

With plantation roads linking Bario to Marudi, the future looks good for those Kelabits hoping to return home after their retirement — and even for the younger ones after their education outside the highlands.

According to a young government officer in Marudi, there might be more jobs in Bario in the future as more businesses can be opened up. With so many possibilities, the rural-urban migration which has been affecting many Bario families, could see a reversal.

Reconsider appeal for extra rural flights — Abang Johari

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/06/24/reconsider-appeal-for-extra-rural-flights-abang-johari/

Posted on June 24, 2012, Sunday

MIRI: MASwings Rural Air Service (RAS) should reconsider the appeal for additional flights to rural areas, especially during festive seasons.

Tourism  Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg said sufficient flights were vital to complement government efforts to promote tourism in rural areas like Bario highlands, Ba Kelalan and Mulu.

“The state-level ministry will collaborate with the Tourism Ministry at the federal level to discuss and look into this matter,” he said when officiating at a food sales to raise funds for Bario Nukenen Festival 2012 at Miri Civic Centre yesterday.

At the moment, MASwings’ 19-seater Twin Otter DHC-6 aircraft has only one daily flight to Bario.
“We hope flight regularity can be added, especially during the festive season or other big events such as cultural festivals. We were made to understand that a flight that carries 19 or less passengers at one time is insufficient,” he said.

Abang Johari said his ministry was also planning to hold discussions with Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) and MASwings to come up with connecting flights to the three main attractions in the northern region: Bario, Ba Kelalan and Mulu National Park.

“We can come up with highland packages and through these, tourists will not only get to visit Brunei, but experience the beauty and hospitality of the three places,” he added.

According to him, Mulu is well known for its unique caves and limestone while Bario had breathtaking mountain views, and Ba Kelalan famous for its hotsprings in Merarap.

Touching on the upcoming Bario Nukenen Festival 2012, Abang Johari praised the effort of Rurum Kelabit Sarawak (RKS) for its commitment in organising the annual festival for the seventh year.

He urged Kelabit residents in Bario to continue producing a variety of products from the highlands, and be more creative to add value to the tourism sector.

“Bario folks are lucky as they have beautiful culture and breathtaking environment. Most importantly, Bario folks must make efforts to highlight and promote their uniqueness to the outside world,” he said.

At the function, Abang Johari announced a RM15,000 sponsorship for Bario Nukenen Festival 2012 while RM5,000 came from the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB).

The fundraising sales yesterday targetted to raise RM40,000 from the festival to be held from July 26 to 28.

Also present at yesterday’s event were Tourism Assistant Minister Datuk Talip Zulpilip; Semariang assemblywoman Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali; Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau; Miri  mayor Lawrence Lai; Political Secretary to the Minister of Energy, Green  Technology and Water, Datuk Sebastian Ting; Miri Resident Antonio Kahti Galis; RKS president Gerawat Gala and organising chairlady for the fundraising food sales, Councillor Kijan Toynbee.

Idris: New economic activities will stem tide of rural-urban migration

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/11/24/sarawak/9963728&sec=sarawak

Thursday November 24, 2011

By ZORA CHAN: zora@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: New economic activities need to be created in rural Sarawak, otherwise more youths will move to urban areas.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala said areas like the highlands of Bario and Ba’Kelalan today saw a lower population as many had migrated to urban areas, leaving mainly the old to farm the land.

“Mass rural-urban migration among the younger generation is a problem in Sarawak and other parts of the country.

“We have to think how to get the young to stay on. We do not have the answers yet but hopefully we’ll have some solutions by early next year,” he said.

Seeking a solution: Idris at the dialogue session with community leaders and elders from Ba’Kelalan and Bario in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Among others, the Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) would address this phenomenon by providing new economic activities as well as basic infrastructure in rural areas, Idris said during a dialogue with a delegation from Bario and Ba’Kelalan here on Tuesday.

The 32-member delegation comprised Lun Bawang and Kelabit community leaders and village elders, led by former Bukit Mas MP Mutang Tagal.

Earlier, the visitors and Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, to thank the Federal Government for upgrading an abandoned logging road from Long Luping to Ba’Kelalan using soil stabilisation technology supplied by Hanayin Engineering Sdn Bhd.

The RM52mil project, spanning 75km, was completed in two years by the army under the Jiwa Murni outreach programme.

Idris, whose home town is Bario, said under the RTP, the Government would improve basic infrastructure like roads, water and electricity supply in the interior.

“With better infrastructure, it will be easier and more economical for farmers to sell their produce at the nearest town or city.”

Citing examples, he said Bario was also famed for its pineapples but it was difficult to sell them elsewhere in the absence of roads linking the highlands to the nearest town and neighbouring villages in Ba’Kelalan.

He welcomed suggestions from villagers to start new economic activities like empurau breeding and rubber plantations in the highlands, adding that such ventures had taken off successfully in Long Peluan, Ulu Baram.

Idris promised to push for the implementation of the Ba’Kelalan-Bario road so that folk in the area would enjoy better connectivity.

During the dialogue session, among others, Rurum Kelabit Sarawak vice-president Dr Philip Raja urged Idris’ ministry to consider turning the state’s as an agropol for the northern region.

He said the idea came about a few years ago from former Miri Resident Datuk Ose Murang and to date, no budget had been given towards this.

“The proposal also aims at transforming Bario into a town or semi-urban area,” he said, adding that such development would also boost tourism in the pristine highlands.

Cheaper by 75 per cent: Army builds 75km Long Luping-Ba Kelalan road for only RM52 million

http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/11/23/cheaper-by-75-per-cent/

by Philip Kiew. Posted on November 23, 2011, Wednesday

WELCOME: Najib greets the Kelabit and Lun Bawang community chiefs led by Sum (left) as they arrive at his official residence. – Photo by Jeffery Mostapa

Army builds 75km Long Luping-Ba Kelalan road for only RM52 million

PUTRAJAYA: The Long Luping-Ba Kelalan Road in Lawas has been hailed a new-breed project that reflects the perfect cooperation between the Public Works Department and the Armed Forces.

Built under the military’s ‘Jiwa Murni’ project, the 75km road costs only RM52 million, slashing 75 per cent from the estimated RM250 million if implemented by conventional contract.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the project was a new development concept which had never been carried out before.

“What attracts me and the government most is that the project, under the old thinking, would need to wait for quite some time as the allocation needed was substantial but it could be completed very quickly after we had taken the decision,” he said when receiving an entourage of Kelabit and Lun Bawang community leaders at Seri Perdana, Putrajaya yesterday.

The 41-member delegation led by Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong was there to thank the prime minister and the government for the road which was completed in September this year.

With the completion of the road, they said travelling time from Lawas to Ba Kelalan now only took about three hours compared to up to three days in the past.

Barely eight days after becoming prime minister, Najib sent his political secretary Datuk Shahlan Ismail to Ba Kelalan to assess the people’s needs and make recommendations.

“He came back with gruesome pictures of the road condition, and it would take a long time to resolve with the conventional concept, and that is why we decided that a new concept was needed,” Najib said.

Earlier, Sum in his speech thanked Najib for the road which the people had long been waiting for.

He also urged the prime minister to consider their request for funds for the new Lawas Airport, Bario-Ba Kelalan road, a secondary school in Ba Kelalan highlands, replacement of Pengalih bridge built under the Colombo Plan along the Pan Borneo trunk road, approval of a diploma-level technical institute in Lawas and minor projects such as village roads, bridges and jetties.

On behalf of the people, he also expressed their gratitude and appreciation to Minister of Defence Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi and officers from his ministry, Armed Forces, Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU), Sarawak Development Office and all those involved in the construction of the road.

Also present at the function were Zahid and top officials from the Armed Forces and its engineering corps, and Sarawak Development Office director Datuk Kamal Hussein.

Bario-Ba’ Kelalan road project to complete by next year

http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07/25/bario-ba%E2%80%99-kelalan-road-project-to-complete-by-next-year/

by Ghaz Ghazali ghazghazali@theborneopost.com. Posted on July 25, 2011, Monday

‘LET THE FEST BEGIN’: Idris Jala hits the ‘tubung’ – a traditional wooden instrument – to mark the launch of the annual Nukenen Food and Cultural Festival in Bario. Seen in the background (right) is Assistant Minister of Tourism, Datuk Talib Zulpilip.

BARIO: The construction of road connectivity between Bario and Ba’ Kelalan will run aggressively towards completion by the middle of next year, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Idris Jala.

He added that many key projects to facilitate the rural development of Bario and Ba’ Kelalan had already been approved by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“Currently, the road from Ba’ Kelalan to Lawas is being built by our soldiers (Royal Malaysian Army) under the programme ‘Jiwa Murni’. Hopefully, it should be ready by the middle of next year, with the road construction from Bario to Ba’ Kelalan will go on from there,” he told reporters during the ‘Nukenen Food and Cultural Festival’ here, which ended last Saturday.

The annual four-day fair was launched by Idris Jala, with Assistant Minister of Tourism, Datuk Talib Zulpilip and MASwings Sdn Bhd’s (MASwings) managing director Datuk Captain Mohd Nawawi Awang were also present as guests of honour.

On investments for the road project, Idris Jala stated that the approved Bario-Ba’ Kelalan road project was valued at a total of RM40 million.

“Apart from the road, we have also received approval for the 24-hour electricity project for all of Bario. While I cannot state any offhand figures on the project value, I believe that the costs will be determined by the mode; either by solar or hydropower generation.

“What I can say is that some of it (project works) have begun this year, while most of it will go into full swing next year.”

Meanwhile, Idris Jala – also the chief of the goverment tranformation programme’s working vehicle, the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) – expressed his pleasure to see that the annual Nukenen Food and Cultural Festival had already garnered substantial interests amongst governmental agencies, foreign associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as tourists since its inception six years ago.

“I’m a Bario native. To see this festival being held independently by its own people really makes me proud. I understand that it had also generated interest amongst government bodies such as the Tourism Ministry as well as Fama (Federal Agriculture and Marketing Authority), especially on local produce such as the famous Bario rice and highland spring salt,” he enthused, adding that approved allocation for the Bario rice project had amounted to RM27 million.

Idris Jala was optimistic that with much basic infrastructure being implemented to date, Bario would emerge as a promising destination for many industries, amongst which would prominently include agriculture and eco-tourism.

“For instance, this food festival here – done by the community for the community – is one of many initiatives to fully commercialise the native products of Bario.

“Now with the air linkage provided by MASwings, which I regard as the ‘lifeline’ of Bario as well as the ICT infrastructure provided by Maxis Bhd, Bario can be linked to the world.

“Adding this to more infrastructure projects under the Government Transformation Plan (GTP) over the next few years, a lot more villages here will get good clean water supply as well as good accessibility by way of new roads,” he added.

Under GTP, allocation towards providing for the rural basic infrastructure programme throughout the country, including Sarawak, had been so far valued at about RM3 billion.

Najib Meets Kelabit Community in Bario

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=578994

April 14, 2011

BARIO, April 14 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today visited the Bario highland in the north-eastern part of Sarawak to mingle with the Kelabit community living in a settlement 1,100 metres above sea level.

Upon arriving by helicopter from Marudi, the Prime Minister was given a traditional Kelabit welcome at the gathering of the people with the leader at the Bario Community Hall.

Najib also went on a walkabout to visit the Bario new clinic and also a rural niternet centre using a satellite network.

Kelabit is one of the smallest ethnic groups in Sarawak with approximately 5,000 people.

It takes one hour by air from Miri to Bario on a MAS Twin Otter 19-seater aircraft.

The Prime Minister announced an allocation of RM40 million to build a 30km road from the Ba'Kelalan settlement to Bario under the "Noble Soul" programme of the Defence Ministry.

Najib also approved an allocation of RM6 million to build four Bailey bridges at gabs in the road in the highland area now accessible only by light aircraft.

A road from Lawas to Ba'Kelalan is being built at a cost of RM60 to serve the highland residents.

Najib also said that 100 houses of Bario residents would be repaired under a programme of the 1Malaysia Development Board which would also finance the building of village roads in the area.

Also present were Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Irdris Jala, and Health MInister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

--BERNAMA

Voter Turnout A Concern For Ba'Kelalan Seat

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=578654&cat=sre

April 13, 2011 13:13 PM

By Rudy Rukimin Rambli

LAWAS (Sarawak), April 13 (Bernama) -- How much do you think a registered outstation voter for the Ba'Kelalan seat will have to fork out if he or she wants to vote this Saturday?

The quickest route to reach Lawas is via a flight to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and after that hitch a bus or taxi ride with thee total fare costing a minimum of RM500 a person.

Lun Bawang Association (LBA) Kuching branch chairman Richard Labung Ganang told Bernama this was on the conservative side.

"If there's no bus or taxi service it could be more than that," he said, adding that if relatives picked voters up at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), then it would be cheaper.

Locals working outside Limbang usually opt for flights to Kota Kinabalu as flights frequency to Limbang and Lawas from major towns in Sarawak is rather limited.

After touching down at KKIA, it is a two-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu to Lawas passing through the Sipitang Immigration checkpoint.

For those from Ba'Kelalan, it largely depends on the weather conditions as driving to the highland takes about six hours if the weather is good while during the rainy season the journey takes 12 hours as the logging roads will become muddy.

In Kuching alone, Labung said, based on the electoral roll, there were more than 100 voters for the Bukit Sari and Ba'Kelalan seats.

In view of the high cost outstation voters would have to bear just return home to vote, Labung said Kuching's LBA had came out with an initiative to facilitate transportation.

"I have spoken to someone in Lawas on our proposed budget allocation from Kuching/Kota Kinabalu by air and Kota Kinabalu/Lawas by land, I hope they will look into it seriously so that everyone can go back to vote," he said.

Lun Bawang outstation voters can contact him at Kuching LBA office at 082-232196 or fax 082-232196 or at handphone 019-8160098/013-8089999/ or fax at his home (24 hours) at 082-649225.

Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Willie Liau who is facing Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) chairman Baru Bian has expressed concern that the voters may not reach the polling centres in time.

"I think they can reach Lawas but to reach polling centres in Ba'Kelalan where the road conditions can be quite unpredictable is another issue," he said. Liau hails from Kampung Buduk Bui, Ba'Kelalan.

Liau's fears were shared by Sarawak Rurum Kelabit president Gerawat Gala as he was reported in a local daily recently as saying that it would be a big problem for BN to bring more than outstation 400 voters including from the peninsula as "all flights were fully booked and land transport fully reserved".

Ba'Kelalan has 6,958 registered voters and has been a BN stronghold since 1986.

In the 2006 election, SPDP secretary-general Nelson Balang Rining, who represented the BN, defeated Baru Bian who then contested under a Sarawak National Party (SNAP) ticket by a razor thin margin of 475 votes.

-- BERNAMA

MASWings Lack of FLight Frequency Irks Ba' Kelalan Folks

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=577826

April 10, 2011

LAWAS, April 10 (Bernama) -- The decision by rural air service operator MASWings Sdn Bhd, a subsidary of Malaysia AIrlines (MAS), to cut down the flight frequency to Ba' Kelalan has come under fire from tourism operators and folks here.

MASWings has decided to cut down the flight frequency to Ba' Kelalan from Miri-Ba' Kelalan routes from the previous four times a week to the present three times a week, effective March 26.

MASWings flies from Miri to Ba' Kelalan with a brief stopever at Lawas airport using the 19-seater Twin Otter on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday every week.

But now it only flies to Ba' Kelalan famously renowned for its home grown apples, rice, and natural scenic highland on MOnday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Met by Bernama here, Lisa Buing, a tour coordinator from Miri-based Borneo Jungle Safari Sdn Bhd (BJS) said, many tourism operators here like homestay owners had voiced their displeasure over the decision by MASWings.

BJS is a well-known tour operator in northern Sarawak providing tour packages to Ba' Kelalan and operates the APple Lodge homestay in Ba' Kelalan.

Lisa said tourists were not keen on using logging and muddy roads leading to Ba' Kelalan as it was time-consuming.

"How else do we promote the tourism potential in Ba' Kelalan here if air accessibility is lacking?" he said.

If weather permits, the trip to Ba' Kelalan could be about nine hours but during rainy season it could take about 12 hours or more to reach Ba' Kelalan as the logging road would be slippery and dangerous going up the mountain.

BJS Operations Manager Rona Sultan said so far it had received four cancellations from local tourists after MASWings decided to cut down the frequency.

"They had booked the flight on Thursday but since MASWings only flies on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday then they had to cancel," she said.

"What is even more disappointing is that MASWings never mounts an extra flight to those who had booked the flight on Thursday," she said.

She said an official letter signed by 12 heads of communities in Ba' Kelalan pleading the government to reconsider reinstating the four times a week flight to Ba' Kelalan will be handed over to the government.

She said the letter is expected to be sent to the federal Transport Ministry also next week.

--BERNAMA

Ba Kelalan may face problem of poor voters’ turnout

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=117060

Posted on April 8, 2011, Friday


SHOW OF UNITY: Mutang (left) and Willie (fifth left) with some BN supporters in Lawas.

LAWAS: It will be a huge challenge for Barisan Nasional to bring back over 400 voters working in major towns in the state to vote in Bario for the Ba’ Kelalan constituency on April 16.

Sarawak Rurum Kelabit president Gerawat Gala said it would be a big task for BN machinery to overcome the problem of transporting back these voters in time to cast their votes.

“It will definitely be a challenge for BN, as most of the flights back to Bario are fully booked and land transport operators going to the Kelabit highland are also fully reserved,” Gerawat said to The Borneo Post on the obstacles for the Orang Ulu in Bario to cast their votes in time.

According to Gerawat, the campaigning time is also very limited for BN’s campaign to cover all the longhouses in the Kelabit and Ba’ Kelalan highlands.

He said most of these Kelabit voters were working in Peninsular Malaysia, Kuching, Sibu, Miri, Limbang, Lawas and Brunei.

He said the Kelabit community in the past had always supported BN and will continue do so in this 10th state election.

However, he said it was a good opportunity for Willie as a new candidate to use a new approach.

A lot of infrastructure development is still needed in Bario and only the BN government can deliver these facilities and utilities, he added.

Meanwhile, former Member of Parliament for Bukit Mas, Mutang Tagal who was present to give his support to Willie said, “BN candidate (Willie) will be able to make headway and succeed.”

He said the mighty BN machinery; party workers, all former YB’s, Aduns and MPs were all behind Willie.

“BN will win Ba’ Kelalan with the people’s sentiment for continued development here, he said further.

Nevertheless, he reminded the Orang Ulu community to continue to support BN.

The basic facilities and utilities are needed by the Lung Bawang and the Kelabit, and Ba’ Kelalan is a rural constituency, he said, urging those fence sitters to cast their votes for BN.

We need the government to provide these facilities and utilities and we don’t want to be left behind, he added.

A senior member of SPDP of Kelabit origin Dr Rolland Mattu said BN was traditionally accepted in the Kelabit highlands.

But the BN needed to reach out to the younger generation, as their outlook and thinking are different, he added.

SPDP Ba’Kelalan Women chief Datin Mariam Balan said, “The women wing supports the candidate and we cannot afford to lose the seat.”

“I called on the people of Ba’ Kelalan to continue supporting BN,” she added.

AirAsia’s Singapore-Miri direct flight is back

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=89091

AirAsia’s Singapore-Miri direct flight is back

by Chin Kee Leong.

Posted on January 22, 2011, Saturday

MIRI: The Singapore-Miri route by AirAsia has been reinstated with the first batch of visitors brought in from Singapore yesterday.

After many months of hard work and persistence by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, AirAsia finally relented.

“With the reinstatement of the AirAsia Singapore-Miri route, it’s time to actively promote what Miri has to offer to keep Singaporean visitors coming,” Dr Chan said after welcoming passengers who disembarked from AirAsia’s AK6067 at Miri Airport.

Mirians finally have something to cheer about after false starts that lead to suspension of Miri-Singapore flights that barely lasted half a year from early March last year; and a reinstatement that did not turn out as anticipated late March last year.

“Singaporeans can now fly direct to Miri in about an hour, and do not have to transit at Kuching or Kuala Lumpur,” said Dr Chan who is also Tourism and Heritage Minister.

The direct flight is expected to save visitors several hours in transit time and much hassle, which will boost inbound tourism for Miri and Sarawak.

In conjunction with the reinstatement, AirAsia is also offering promotional fares of RM33 and S$33 from May to June this year.

Present to welcome visitors at the airport were Miri mayor Lawrence Lai, Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Datuk Rashid Khan, and Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia marketing manager Victor Leow Khian Ngean.

PKR calls for review of flying doctor service

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-sarawak/14170-pkr-calls-for-review-of-flying-doctor-service

PKR calls for review of flying doctor service

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:44

By Joseph Tawie

KUCHING: Sarawak PKR has called for a full review and renaming of the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) in Sarawak.

Its health bureau chief Dr Francis Ngu said the FDS should be renamed as Flying Medical Services (FMS) providing paramedical staff and community nurses instead of doctors.

"We would achieve the same or comparable public health outcomes with paramedical staff as with the current doctors. Currently the FDS is highly expensive for both logistics and personnel," he said.

Ngu said that while the FDS should not be restricted to one or two sorties per day, it must however improve ground personnel through village health promoters, facilities and equipment rather than focus on improving service delivery.

“Should there not be health promotion talks, demonstrations instead of just ‘pills-for all’ services?”

“Should there not be rural health promoters at all locations, to provide continuous synergism to the service of the FDS/FMS staff?” he asked.

Ngu was responding to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's call on Saturday urging the federal and state governments to map out a more “realistic” plan in view of the scattered population in the state.

He reminded the governments that Sarawakians were spread out in 6,000 settlements, out which 60 percent consisted of fewer than 50 families.

“As long as the population was not concentrated and without easy transport, more efforts must be placed on the flying doctor service,” Taib had said.

Commenting on Taib's statement, Ngu suggested that where small plane landing airstrips are made available, for instance at Bario, Ba’Kelalan and Long Seridan, the FDS should be upgraded by using fixed winged aircrafts.

He also proposed that more landing strips be built for fixed winged aircrafts at remote locations, if population concentration justifies.

“Such a service would allow more staff and equipment to be flown example for dental service and eye screening,” Ngu said.

He added, that FDS/FMS would be better served by a full time Flying Medical Services Corps, thereby developing special expertise in rural medicine and dentistry.

“While consolidating and even vastly improving the FDS, the stronger emphasis must be steadily increasing the rural reach by land and riverine transport infrastructure, and establishing static facilities where population numbers justify cost effectiveness,” he said.

Contract irregularities

The FDS was launched in September 1973 as a pilot project to bring modern medicine to people in very remote areas of Sarawak.

Among its aims were to medically treat people in remote areas and help them improve their health status so that they would be economically productive.

It was also to narrow down the disparity in the provision of Medical and Health Services between urban and rural and remote interiors which are not easily accessible by normal means of communications.

In addition the government also hoped to make its presence felt in these remote locations which otherwise could easily fall prey to the influence of the insurgents.

Following the initial success of the white-coated doctor's visit to the longhouses which had never seen such personnel before, the government decided to have the FDS as a permanent service.

However recently FDS has been seeing a series of setbacks.

“The FDS is an expensive service which was put in place as much for political expediency of government rural reach in the 1970s, as for focused service provision," said Ngu.

"It was meant to be a stop-gap measure till the development of transport infrastructure, whence static service will replace the FDS.

"In recent years, there have been widespread service disruptions, leading to much dissatisfaction from rural communities concerned.

“Much of this failure has been traced by an opposition legislators to contract irregularities, involving political cronies,” he added.

MASwings to fix booking and seating problems on rural air services

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=73908

MASwings to fix booking and seating problems on rural air services

Posted on November 9, 2010, Tuesday

MIRI: MASwings will reduce glitches in their rural air services operation through introduction of computerised booking and seat allocation system.

“Currently, everything is done manually. We have to do seat allocation upfront,” its managing director Dato’ Mohd Salleh Ahmad Tabrani disclosed to reporters after launching the Safety and Security Seminar and Workshop here.

Mohd Salleh was asked to comment on the problem faced by passengers from remote areas in Baram, that they were often left stranded in Marudi when on transit in the township before proceeding to Miri. They claimed that their seats were given to passengers from Marudi while leaving them to catch the next available flight.

Admitted the fault, Mohd Salleh said: “The problem arise because of all the inventory management is not computerised and we have to decide upfront on the number of seats going to be allocated… probably half of the aircraft (seats) would be given to passengers from Long Akah and another half to those from Marudi to Miri.”

The managing director said they have to be flexible in managing the inventory, adding that, however, the complaints or problems were not on regular basis.

Mohd Salleh assured that they will address the problem.

MASwings embarked on a pilot project called ‘Highlander’ to computerised all their short take off and landing (STOL) ports’ operations. The project was now in trial basis in both Bario and Ba kelalan, where the airline provided both area with solar power, satellite dishes, battery packs and basic computer resolution programmes to computerised their operations.

The system will be introduced to other STOL ports in rural and remote areas in the state upon the success in their pilot projects.

A Malaysia Day reflection

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/opinion/comment/10438-a-malaysia-day-reflection

A Malaysia Day reflection

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:00

By Hilary Chiew

COMMENT Malaysia Day last Thursday saw considerable outpouring of sentiments of ‘oneness’ on the pages of newspapers and online portals and even on the streets.

Some were the predictable reiteration and re-examination of the 20- and 18-point agreements that applied to Sabah and Sarawak when the two states in Borneo together with the Federation of Malaya and Singapore formed Malaysia in 1963.

There were also the propagandists ‘feel-good’ stories of West Malaysians singing praises of the ‘development’ they saw happening in the two states across the South China Sea.

These stories are to be taken with a generous helping of salt. Actually, they are more like rubbing salt to the wounds. The discontent of East Malaysians is centred on being left behind in the grand scheme of national development but some of those positive stories are arguing along the line that they should be grateful for whatever they have got so far.

One army veteran shared his observation of the improvement in the road and the Kuching General Hospital’s cardiac unit. For the road, he was comparing it with the gravel ones in the 1960s when he was first posted there and later became a civilian and now residing in Kuching.

Maybe he has never travel to the interior on bumpy and dangerous timber roads and not visited the health service centres that are understaffed and poorly equipped. Many are manned by junior medical attendants where the needs for quality medical attention are most needed.

Not only that all these essential social services are rare, economic development projects promoted by the state governments (which in turn are endorsed by the federal government) are threatening the self-subsistence lifestyle of the rural populations.

Maybe like many urbanites on both sides of the sea, he chose to turn a deaf ear and be blind to this backwardness. After all, ignorance is bliss.

Poor roads have been lifelong complain of at least two generations of Sabahans and Sarawakians. For the slightly better off folks, they are unhappy that they can’t travel in a huge part of their states with a sedan car like most West Malaysians instead of a four-wheel-drive. And these 4WDs last lesser than in the peninsula, no thanks to the potholed-ridden unsealed surfaces.

Their frustrations are further compounded by their realization that they are endowed with rich resources that had been exploited all these 47 years which enriched the national coffer yet they remained the poorest states in the federation.

In his speech to mark the first Malaysia Day celebration in Kota Kinabalu, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak promised a greater push towards ending the social and economic disparities between peninsula and the Borneo states, tacitly admitting the neglect.

The government is fully aware of the disparity and the state of inequality that are leading to further marginalisation of Sabahans and Sarawakians. In its more recent Malaysian Plans, notably the 8th and 9th plans, the problem was acknowledged with promises of rectification. But plans after plans, there are hardly any evaluation of the failures in implementation and the situation remains.

Throwing money irresponsibly

All these talks about road construction reminded me of the recent announcement of development allocation by Najib when he visited Sarawak on the heels of yet another report on sexual violations against Penan womenfolks.

But instead of addressing the issue head-on (I wonder if members of the press did and dare ask him to comment on the problem), the helicopter visit turned into a project-pledging trip.

(The trip was preceded by Women’s Affair Minister Shahrizat whirlwind visit to Batu Bungan, supposedly to get a first hand knowledge of the recurring rape issues.)

Hence, it was largely seen by many political observers as a pre-state election exercise to bolster the battered image of the state that was reeling from one expose after another of Taib’s overseas wealth accumulation which by the way, until this day, Najib’s administration has never commented.

Anyway, he pledged RM101mil to upgrade the infamous Beluru-Lapok road; a 42km largely gravel road connecting the major thoroughfare into the interior of timber-rich Baram with the coastal cities of Miri and Bintulu.

The locals have interesting names for the road – Jumping Road, Bone-breaking Road, Jalan Lobang etc. There are also stories which are the stuff of urban legend – the roughness of the road is also said to be birth-inducing; babies had been delivered prematurely in vehicles.

Locals will tell you that the handful of sealed stretches of the road were election goodies. Past pledges from the federal government to seal the entire road had mysteriously evaporated elections after elections.

As with most government allocations that are awarded to private contractors without going through open tendering, the final products are predictably substandard.

Another pledge - the RM6million allocation for a mini hydro-electric project in Long Banga, upper Baram is also questionable.

The flopped rural electrification project in the Sarawak Kelabit Highland comes to mind. In 1997, the Ministry of Rural Development awarded a RM17million contract for a hybrid micro-hydro electrification for the Bario Asal longhouse community in Bario.

In the absence of project transparency, the contractor purportedly installed a 100kW turbine which was way beyond the capacity of the Merario River. After a big launch fanfare, the electricity supply lasted a mere 15 minutes, claimed some locals.

In any case, it eventually incurred a cost of RM900 per month diesel cost for three-hour indoor lighting. This was due to wrong judgment of the hydro capacity to turn the ill-fitted big turbine. The system has since been abandoned and was partly destroyed by flash floods in 2003.

Subsequently, an indigenous peoples’ organization from Sabah – Pacos Trust (Partners in Community Organisations) provided technical assistance to the community to revive the project with less than RM500,000. The 40kW mini-hydro project is now providing 24-hour electricity for the 47 households of Bario Asal in January 2009.

Thus far, Pacos has successfully implemented community-based mini-hydro in Long Lawen, Belaga and tow other remote villages in Sabah – Kg Terian in Penampang and Kg Bantul in Pensiangan.

Hardly the solution

Micro-hydro projects that involved communities from the beginning are a proven solution to rural electrification; a sound alternative to mega dams, coal-fired power plants and even nuclear power plants that are not only costly, environmentally destructive but involved transmission across hundreds or thousands of kilometers resulting in energy losses, rendering them highly inefficient.

So, throwing huge sum of taxpayers money nilly-willy can hardly be the solution.

Furthermore, it risks being perceived as yet another way to enrich the politically-connected companies that stand to wrest the contracts.

And when it comes to mega projects like the Bakun dam, displaced communities became dispossesed in the grand scheme of development. It certainly doesn’t bode well for nation-building if these Sarawakians are deprived of electricity when they had already sacrificed so much only to have the energy earmarked for energy-wasteful peninsula. At least that was the initial plan which has since been shelved.

When people are dispossessed, can you blame them for their discontent?

Malaysia Day celebration will be meaningful only when we stopped serving the East Malaysians the crumbs from our dining tables and embrace all Malaysians as one regardless of race and religion.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilary Chiew is a socio-environmental researcher and freelance writer based in Kuala Lumpur.

More Rela members to look after rural airport security

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=53642

More Rela members to look after rural airport security

Posted on July 30, 2010, Friday

KUCHING: More People’s Vigilante Corps (Rela) members will be recruited to specifically look after the security of rural airports, said Deputy Transport Minister Jelaing Mersat.

According to him, the government has started using Rela members to look after airport security at Long Banga in April.

“We are seriously looking at the security aspects of airports,” Jelaing told a press conference yesterday.

He added that at the moment six Rela members are deployed each time at a rural airport such as the ones in Bario, Long Banga and Long Akah.

Earlier on, he launched MASwings and Malaysia Airport Berhad (MAB) joint safety, security and health campaign at Kuching International Airport.

The two-day programme was aimed at reinforcing safety and security measures to prevent injuries and fatalities.

Jelaing revealed that training for Rela members deployed at airports would be conducted by airport authorities.

According to him, previously security at rural airports was very lax, relying mostly on the locals.

Rela targets 2.6 million members

http://tribune.my/prime/1308-rela-targets-26-million-members.html

Rela targets 2.6 million members

Wednesday, 28 July 2010 11:51

TUARAN (Sabah): Ikatan Relawan Rakyat Malaysia (Rela) or Malaysian Voluntary Corp targets to recruit 2.6 million members by year-end.

This was announced by the secretary- general to the Ministry of Home Affairs Dato’ Sri Mahmood Adam during the handing-over of honorary rank to several individuals at the Rela training centre here over the weekend.

“The targeted figure is double the existing membership of 1.3 million. This is to realize the vision of turning Rela into a third security institution in the country after the army and police.

Once this target had been achieved Rela would embark on spreading its wings into the Association of South East Asian (Asean) countries particularly Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, he added.

He made the address when presenting honorary ranks to 34 high ranking officers of the Home Affairs Ministry, selected members of the public and personnel from the media fraternity.

Heading the list of the recipients was Home Ministry’s deputy secretary-general Dato Raja Azahar bin Raja Abdul Manap who was given the Honorary Major-General.

Others who received the same rank were Dato’ Haji Mohd Nor Hashim, Dato’ Bakir Haji Zin and Dato’ Abdul Rahim Mohd Radzi.

Four other s received the Honorary Brigadier-General; 18 Honorary Colonels; five Honorary Lieutenant Colonels; and three Honorary Major.

Seventeen media practitioners from Sabah, three from Sarawak and two from Peninsular Malaysia were also awarded the Honorary Lieutenant Colonel and Major.

The Sarawak trio are New Sarawak Tribune’s executive editor Paul Si Poh Lim (Lieutenant Colonel), See Hua Daily News regional news manager Chia Chew Boon (Lieutenant Colonel) and the Group Editor-in- Chief of New Sarawak Tribune and Utusan Sarawak William Chan (Major).

Meanwhile, Sarawak Rela director Brigadier-General Hamfatullah Syawal Hamdan, who was also present at the function told the New Sarawak Tribune that Rela personnel in Sarawak were also tasked with guarding six Short Take-Off Landing Port (Stolport) airstrips in Bario, Ba’ Kelalan, Long Lellang, Long Akah, Long Seridan and Long Banga.

“Each Stolport station is provided with 12 to 14 personnel who works 24 hours in three shifts,” he said.

Rela Sarawak has 112,000 members spread throughout the state.

Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Pasang of Bario meanwhile, disclosed that the membership drive in the rural area had improved tremendously.

“We have 18 platoons in our area now, compared to only three in 2003. Each platoon comprises 33 personnel. Our members comprise people of various ethnics namely Kelabit, Penan, Saban and Kenyah,” he said.

Rela members in the rural areas helped look after the air-strips, monitor illegal immigrants, subsidy abuse and assisting in combating criminal activities.

Jeffrey suggested that the honorary high-ranking personnel be given allowances considering that they perform leadership activities to ensure the progress of Rela members.

Najib set to 'charm' Sarawak's Orang Ulu

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-sarawak/8200-najib-set-to-charm-sarawaks-orang-ulu

Najib set to 'charm' Sarawak's Orang Ulu

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:26

By Pushparani Thilaganathan

MIRI: Riding on 64.1% popularity high in Sarawak, Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak is set to head straight for the state’s deepest interiors tomorrow to “see for himself the real situation” among the Penan, Kelabit, Kenyah, Kayan, Saban, Berawan and Lakiput communities.

Najib is keeping his word. He had once told Sarawakians that he wanted a first-hand look at the state’s remotest areas, accessible only by boat, helicopters or trekking.

This will be only the second time since independence that a prime minister has ventured into the interiors of this vast landlocked state sliced by the mighty Rajang river.

The last visit was when former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad visited Long Bedian in 2003.

Excitement is high among the simplistic Orang Ulu sub-ethnic communities as they await Najib’s arrival to launch a bridge in Long Banga in Ulu Baram, which is an eight-hour drive from here along a dirt road.

Ulu Baram is home to the Orang Ulu comprising the Penan, Kelabit, Kenyah, Kayan, Saban, Berawan and Lakiput. Together with downriver tribes, Lun Bawang and Lun Dayeh, they make up 5.5 % of Sarawak’s population, a voter base that state BN officials have touted as unreacheable to the opposition. (The recent Merderka Centre Survey polled 11.2% support for the opposition Sarawak, but political analyst Faizal Hazri notes that Pakatan Rakyat will need 20% swing in votes to take Sarawak.)

According to Telang Usan assemblyman, Lihan Jok, the Orang Ulu are a minority community long since left behind by progress.

The prime minister’s visit, he said, will give them a chance at experiencing development.

“I believe this historic visit by Najib to Ulu Baram will pay off. He can see for himself their needs and explain many things to them.

“We are a minority community that has long been left behind by progress and development because we live in the far interiors of the rainforest,” Jok said.

The wish list

Reiterating his confidence in the imminent change which Najib will bring, Jok said he had forwarded the people’s wish list to the Prime Minister’s Department during his recent visit to Putrajaya.

“We’ve asked for development that will directly benefit each community’s quality of life and I believe the government will implement these plans for the Orang Ulu,” said Jok.

He said all the Orang Ulu sub-communities will be given a fair share of the development plan.

“For the Kelabit who live in the highlands, we have asked for roads and a bridge linking them to Miri city.

‘For the Penan, we have asked for clinics. The Penan community needs better healthcare and clinics that are closer to their settlements.

“For the Kenyah in Telang Usan, we have focused on economic development such as mini rubber estates for them to improve on their income.

“For the Kayan in Ulu Baram Tengah, we have also asked for a road and a bridge linking them to the outside world.

“And for the Berawan and Lakiput communities, they live in the low-lying areas and face regular water problems so we have asked for clean water to be supplied for their daily use,” said Jok.

While Jok has put forth the infrastructural needs of the Orang Ulu community, another group is fervently hoping to convince Najib to save its women and children from an endemic scrounge.

Said a source close to the Penan Support Group (PSG): “We know the visits into the Sarawak interior is time consuming but since he (Najib) is here in Baram, we sincerely hope that he will meet with groups like us.

“We want to tell him the real issues… that the Penan children are vulnerable. They are prone to rape and sexual exploitation because they are dependent on the logging companies for transport to schools... There are no schools near their settlements.

‘The fact is, he is the only one who can put a stop to this wide-ranging endemic exploitation.”

The PSG incidentally has rankled both state and federal governments with its recent report entitled “A wider context of sexual exploitation of Penan women and girls in Middle and Ulu Baram, Sarawak,” which contains intimate details and first-hand interviews of the scrounge in the interiors.

"Many BN leaders have slammed us. They find these confessions embarrasing and say the Penan are lying. But the report is factual and far more real than police reports and professed government action," said the source.