Lorna raises RM1 mln in ‘Go Bald’ campaign

http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/06/26/lorna-raises-rm1-mln-in-%E2%80%98go-bald%E2%80%99-campaign/

Posted on June 26, 2011, Sunday

KUCHING: Datuk Lorna Enan Muloon, the wife of former deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan yesterday finally managed to raise RM1 million for Sarawak Children Cancer Society’s (SCCS) ‘Go Bald’ campaign.


HELLO THERE: Lorna having a light moment with a patient at the child cancer unit of the Sarawak General Hospital yesterday. Earlier, Lorna had her head shaven. — Photo courtesy of Datuk Lorna Enan Muloon

Lorna raised around RM100,000 from her initial initiative, before eight donors comprising individuals and private companies donated RM50,000 each to the cause.

The donors included Datuk Shah Rukh Khan a popular Bollywood actor, Teo Aik King, TPR foundation, Tan Sri Ling Ching Ho, Datuk Wira Faisal of Naza Group of Companies, GLC Foundation, Andy Ang from Island Circle Development and Yong Foh Choi.

The biggest donor is Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who on Saturday night approved a federal government allocation of RM500,000.

Lorna had written a letter to Najib relating her desire to come to the aid of SCCS. The prime minister responded by agreeing a matching grant to the total amount raised.

SCCS president Gary Ho who related this during a press conference here yesterday said the dream to collect RM1.5 million from the Go Bald campaign finally materialised with Lorna’s effort.

“The recent Go Bald campaign in Miri collected RM143,000 while the one in Kuching collected RM480,000. It is still way from our target.

“With RM500,000 raised by Lorna and another RM500,000 from Najib, the total amount will definitely bring much cheer to SCCS. Lorna’s effort has made SCCS dream come true,” said Ho.

Ho said that Lorna, who initially targeted RM100,000 for the ‘Go Bald’ campaign, changed her target to RM250,000 before settling at RM1 million.

Lorna went bald at the Sarawak General Hospital Children’s Cancer Ward yesterday. She was accompanied by Dr Chan in a private session shortly after spending their time with children at the ward.

Both Lorna and Dr Chan, however, were not present at the press conference.

The amount collected will be used to fund SCCS’ RM2.4 million new building at Taman Desa Wira which is expected to be completed in May next year.

Lorna: I’ve touched base with humility

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/26/sarawak/8977605&sec=sarawak

By YU JI yuji@thestar.com.my
Sunday June 26, 2011

KUCHING: Going bald for charity has been a “life-changing” experience for Datuk Lorna Enan Muloon, who has had long hair since she was two years old.

Speaking to The Star after shaving her head, the social worker was in good spirits, starting off talking about how she looked like a Shaolin monk.

“All I need is a yellow robe. But on a serious note, even after this, I can’t say I can ever fully understand what kids with cancer have to go through. But I feel so touched.


Source of courage: Lorna meeting a child in the Sarawak General Hospital before she shaved her head.

“They’ve given me courage. This experience has made me better. I’ve touched base with humility.”

Lorna said she did it because she believed understanding the plight of others was best learnt through personal experience.

“I really wanted to be with these children. I say it again and again that I cannot fully understand their emotional turbulence. I know, at the end of the day, I’m only shaving my head. I know that is a very different experience.”

Asked if she felt Malaysians were caring enough, she said she believed so.
“A lot of people do charity. I think it’s great. We must always remember to support one another.”

And how does being bald feel like?

“Good question! Well, so far people say I look younger. I’ve never had a bald head since I was a baby. But I don’t mind.”

For Naza Group chairman, Datuk Wira SM Faisal, who sponsored Lorna RM50,000, the work of cancer non-governmental organisations, like the Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS), was especially meaningful.

His father, the founder of the company, died of lung cancer in May 2008.

“Any charity is good, but for today, I’m donating to SCCS because I truly believe in good cancer care for society’s most vulnerable,” Faisal told The Star.

“My own dad passed away at just 53 years old so I sort of understand how much cancer takes out of patients and their families.”

Children have amazing fighting spirit, Faisal said. All they need was care and love, and children would face cancer as well as any adult, he said.

“I’m really hoping to see the society’s centre when it is done. I want to see the playgrounds. My other wish is that maintenance is constantly carried out.”

Faisal was one of seven donors, who each pledged RM50,000 to Lorna’s donation drive.

Three weeks ago, Lorna announced her intention to join the wildly popular Go Bald event.

“Lorna and I are old family friends. Once we heard about her intention, there was no question we would chip in,” Faisal said.

Lorna’s other big donors include the Bollywood superstar Datuk Shah Rukh Khan, Teo Ah Khing Foundation, Tan Sri Ling Chiong Ho (Shin Yang Group executive chairman), GLC Foundation and Island Circle Development Sdn Bhd.

At a total of RM500,000, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak pledged a ringgit-to-ringgit matching grant, doubling the amount.

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.

State Library to host talk on beads

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=121386

Posted on April 16, 2011, Saturday

KUCHING: The State Library will host a lecture entitled ‘Introduction to the beads in Sarawak’ from 2.30pm to 4.30pm on April 20.

Roziah Rinai Samai from the Sarawak Craft Council will introduce composite beads, popular handicraft in the state.

Beading is a tradition of ethnic communities in Sabah and Sarawak.

Beads include those made of glass, gems and precious stones.

Research has found that beads were brought here from Egypt, Greece, India and China hundreds of years ago.

Sir Roland Bradell (1947) in his paper on the history of Malaysia found that beads in Sarawak were imported by Sabean traders during the pre-Christian era.

For seat reservations or inquiries, contact Norlailawaty Ismail or Henry Leo Lee Kuang on 082-442000 ext 330 or 251, or email norlaii2@sarawak net.gov.my or henryllk@sarawak net.gov.my.

Bian’s win a testimony of Dayak support

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/04/16/bians-win-a-testimony-of-dayak-support/

Pushparani Thilaganathan | April 16, 2011

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian withstood the onslaught of the Barisan Nasional machinery to win Ba'Kelalan by a small majority.


KUCHING: Battle-weary native customary rights (NCR) lawyer, Baru Bian, has much to be thankful for.

Having suffered a relentess assault by the Barisan Nasional (BN) election machinery, he has finally won the Ba’ Kelalan seat, albeit with a simple 473-vote majority.

He beat BN candidate Willie Liang, a young lawyer and political greenhorn. Liang is with Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

In the run-up to the nomination, the BN had omitted to announce its candidate for Ba’ Kelalan. According to BN sources, it simply did not have a candidate “strong enough” to match the Sarawak PKR chief.

And when they eventually announced Liang’s name, it was understood that Liang was in it for the experience.

This, however, is Bian’s third attempt. In 2006, he lost to SPDP secretary-general Nelson Rining by just over 400 votes.

Nonetheless for Bian, the 2011 victory in Ba’ Kelalan is telling.

“I’m glad the voters finally understand what we are talking about. The issues here are just land and religion.

“They know now where we (PKR) stand,” said Bian, a devout Christian.

Recalling the final days of campaigning, the soft-spoken Bian said that it had been “tough”, as he had to travel far into the interior to ensure voters knew who he was and the issues PKR stood for against the BN.

The BN assault against his candidacy and in the Ba’ Kelalan constituency had been tireless and multi-pronged.

Gifts didn’t help

For some reason, BN had decided that Ba’Kelalan, which is the smallest and remotest in the 71 constituencies, needed to be retained at all cost. It had been a stronghold of BN since 1996.

Perhaps it was because a win here would then position Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s move to harness the Dayaks.

The Ba’Kelalan constituency is home to the Orang Ulu, comprising the Lun Bawang, Kayan, Kenyan, Kelabit and Penan communities.

The Orang Ulu together with the Bidayuh, Iban and Melanau communities form the Dayaks, Sarawak’s majority population.

In this politically defining election, the Dayaks were wooed and cajoled and even allegedly intimidated into playing a decisive role.

And BN made sure it did everything possible to keep them in its fold.

“First, the BN top leaders came… even the prime minister, defence minister and Idris Jala. Then came the money and the gifts,” Bian said.

“But the people especially those in Long Semado, Long Sukang, Kampung Pengalih, and Purusia were very supportive. They didn’t succumb.”

Barely three weeks ago, Bian said the voters in Ba’Kelalan had complained about army intimidation.

Yesterday, PKR de facto chief Anwar Ibrahim said BN had brought in some 20,000 armed forces personnel into Sarawak for “security reasons”, but strangely they were “plainclothes” officers.Their arrival added to the mystery surrounding the “unexplainable” 87,000 new voters in Sarawak.

As to his next move, Bian said he would wait to see how PKR and Pakatan Rakyat as a whole performed in this 10th edition of the state election.

“We’ll will decide our next step after we see Pakatan’s performance here. As for my constituency, I will continue to do what I have been doing with them,” he said.

At the close of Sarawak’s hotly contested elections, the opposition had failed to deny BN its two- thirds majority.

Christians of Sarawak, be catalysts for change!

http://aliran.com/5281.html

By admin, on 15 April 2011

On the eve of the Sarawak state elections, Martin Jalleh urges Christians to make it their Christian duty to stand up for the state’s marginalised indigenous communities who have been deceived, discriminated against, dispossessed, and disempowered.


Christians of Sarawak, your hour has come! May you have the courage to respond to the clarion call of leading the charge of change in your State and country.

May your vote convince the PM that the religious freedom of Christians and other faiths cannot rest merely on his sudden goodwill conveyed at cordial, congenial and courteous close-door meetings.

May your choice reflect the earnest prayer of Christians that the government will honour and respect our basic constitutional rights and not subject them to changes according to the political expediency of the moment.

May your courage bring to the fore the problems related to religious harmony which the BN government has created or is complicit to and its conceited responses and ad-hoc solutions which contradict its very own policies!

The challenge before you goes far beyond that of the recent Bible controversy. It is to express distinctly to the PM the deep disappointment and discontent of Christians being discriminated against over the years.

May you convey very clearly to the PM the concern and consternation of Christians at being made victims of the frequent contravention (with impunity) of the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.

May you echo the growing anguish and anger of Christians who refuse to be cowed by the constant taunts, threats and tirades of “Little Mullah Napoleons” in Umno, Perkasa, Pembela, and the Home Ministry.

May yours be a conscious stand against those who are a cog in Umno’s machine, a party which has politicised religion for its survival by creating unfounded insecurities and fear amongst Muslims and a distrust of other religions.

The PM was right. Change brings with it uncertainty. But God will see you through. A vote for BN will bring you the ‘certainty’ of continued racial and religious polarisation and compound the culture of corruption, cronyism and crippling fear.

May your concerns be not confined to the well-being of Christians alone but may they envelope, and embrace the struggles encountered by the peoples of all races and religions, yes, even the Muslims too.

May you champion the common good and be an answer to the longing and prayer of deliverance of the long-suffering people living in long-houses and languishing in abject poverty.

May you make it your Christian duty to stand up for the marginalised indigenous peoples of Sarawak who have been deceived, discriminated against, displaced, dislodged, dispossessed, deprived and disempowered.

May your Christian compassion move you to act justly for those who have become disillusioned, demoralised and dysfunctional by the divisive and diabolical designs of the powers-that-be.

May God free you from the ‘contamination’ of Semenanjung. May your Christian conscience prompt you to chose the side which Jesus would — those who have no cash, credit, clout, cables or connection!

By the grace of God, may your response to the Christian call to the conversion of heart (especially as we come close to the climax of Lent) be a personal transformation from one of compromise to courage and from convenience and comfort to commitment to justice and peace.

May God be with you as you exercise your Christian duty of casting your vote in this crucial moment of Sarawak’s history! May God bless Sarawak!

Martin Jalleh, a well known political commentator, is a regular contributor to Aliran