Sarawakians want better highway

By Victor James, Kuching

I REFER to an article published in The Borneo Post on Aug 13 where the prime minister assured that Sarawak would get more value-added development. What we in Sarawak want is for the highway to Miri to be upgraded from its present pitiful state to be on par with the North-South Highway in the peninsula. The state government has not fought hard enough for the federal government to channel funds for the reconstruction of the Pan Borneo Highway, which in its present state, does not reflect Sarawak’s contribution to Malaysia since the formation of Malaysia 45 years ago.

All we ask is that the federal government ask the Deputy Minister of Works who happens to be from Sarawak to travel by road from Kuching to Miri and thence through Negara Brunei Darussalam to Limbang and Lawas and thence on to Sabah, and similarly travel from Johor to Perlis via the North-South Highway and then submit a report on the condition of this Pan Borneo Highway and ask this question: Do we deserve this type of road after 45 years and the countless contributions Sarawak has made to Malaysia? If the Deputy Minister of Works were to travel from Kuching to Miri by road, we ask that he bring along the state minister of In-frastructure Development and other officials from the Ministry of Works.

I am a regular user of the Pan Borneo Highway as my business requires me to travel by road at least once a month from Kuching to Miri where I have to call at various towns along the Pan Borneo Highway. I have also travelled along the North-South Highway from Johor to Perlis, at least twice a year. What we have as the Pan Borneo Highway does not reflect the contribution Sarawak has made to the Federation and we are being ‘anak tirikan’ by the federal government. So to reflect the appreciation of the federal government for Sarawak’s contribution, improve the Pan Borneo Highway to one that is comparable to that of the North-South Highway in Semenanjung Malaysia.

Money burnt on fuel

River transportation cost up by three folds making economic activities extremely difficult for longhouse folk

ENGKILILI: When rural dwellers asked to be given fuel subsidies to ease their burden, it is no small joke or any political gimmick. The reality is that they have been struggling under the strain of the recent fuel price hike, with transportation cost eating into much of their earnings. In Rumah Rantai in Lepong, Kepayang for example, a return trip to the nearest market, which used to cost about RM250 in petrol now costs RM700.

“This is the problem we are facing since the increase in the price of petrol,” villager Karim Gerambong, 38, said. “With such high cost, we are finding it hard to do things that we need to do in town. We are losing on so many important things like marketing our goods and making government-related documents because we are finding it too expensive to travel,” he said. Yet for the folk of Rumah Rantai, travelling along the Skrang River is their only means of getting to town. It means they have to fill up the tanks of their outboard engines and head for Pangkalan Murat before taking a ride along a dirt road to Engkilili.

“Petrol is sold at RM14 a gallon at Pangkalan Murat and for a return trip we will need at least 40 gallons. This is actually the amount of petrol used when the river is shallow, which is when the longboats have to be pulled part of the way and engines are idle. But if the water level allows us smooth travel and our outboard engine runs all the way, we will be using more petrol. So you see, the present fuel price is really killing us,” Karim said. He said the recent drastic increase in fuel prices was, therefore, causing a lot of hardship to the longhouse folk.

“Yes, we do look forward to the promised subsidy that has been bandied around by the government because in the present situation, our economy is being burnt by our outboard engines,” Karim said. He said the villagers were hoping that the subsidy would be extended to owners of outboard engines so that some form of normal economic activities could be carried out especially where they involved movements along the river. Karim also expressed the hope that the government would build a road to link the longhouse to the “outside world”, saying river transportation was really going beyond the means of rural villagers.

Hundreds of Borneo aborigines forced from their homes

Wednesday August 6, 2008 MYT 8:03:12 PM KUALA LUMPUR: The authorities have forcibly evicted hundreds of families from villages in the Bintulu district of Sarawak in Borneo in the past year, claims Sahabat Alam Malaysia. Sahabat Alam Malaysia council member Mohideen Abdul Kader said the Forest Department and Land and Survey Department had issued licences to convert the land and forests in the area to plantations without obtaining the consent of the communities who have native customary rights (NCR).

Glyn Ingang, 32, from Kampung Mejau in Tatau, said they were only offered compensation of RM250 per hectare and had not agreed to give up their land. “There are 80 families in my village, and the concessionaires or the contractors just come in like that to demolish our longhouses and evict us. My ancestors have been staying here for hundreds of years, long before Malaysia was even formed,” he said.

Bagong Swee, 49, from Kampung Sebungan in Sebauk, said the rubber trees which were cultivated by the locals were chopped down by workers, leaving them with no source of income. “They even polluted our river, and we can’t even use it to bathe as our skin will get itchy. Now, we only drink rain water,” he said, adding that more than 250 families were affected. Bagong said the concessionaires had started an oil palm plantation on the land, and he said the villagers might have to resort to ‘harvesting’ their oil palm and selling them to survive.

Marai Sengok, 27, from Kampung Binyo, said besides tearing down their longhouses and food storage huts, the workers had also destroyed their crops with pesticides. “We can only stand and watch as they tear down our homes, as they are always accompanied by armed policemen,” he said.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, Mohideen called for a Commission of Inquiry to be set up to probe into the logging and plantation industry in Sarawak. “Sarawak must accord full recognition on the NCR - both on cultivated and forest areas. The enroachment of NCR land must be put to a stop,” he said. He said it was disturbing that Sarawak Forest Department itself is the project proponent for one of the projects, involving 490,000ha of land. He claimed the department had licensed out 2.8mil ha of largely forest land for 40 plantation concessions, mainly for oil palm and pulpwood trees, since 1997.

Four chief ministers in 45 years

KUCHING: Pop quiz: Name all of Sarawak’s chief ministers in the correct order starting from the first. The Borneo Post took this quiz to the street and the answers we got were less than satisfactory. Those above 35 years old answered fairly well but many under 30 years old needed to open their history books again.

Many people under 30 thought that Tun Abdul Rahman Yaakub was the first chief minister of Sarawak. For those who have short memories, Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is Sarawak’s fourth chief minister. Sarawak may be part of a young nation, but we have travelled a long and difficult road to get to where we are today. Unfortunately, Sarawakians, particularly the current generation, have very limited knowledge of the state’s history.

Why this is happening is something academicians and educators should be thinking about. But whatever the reason, it is a sad state of affair when citizens do not know and appreciate the history of their own country. It is really inconceivable that Sarawakians do not know who have been their chief ministers. Four is not a big number to remember compared to the contributions and sacrifices that each of them made for the state.

The fact is that the state is what it is today mainly because of the leaders, and the least that Sarawakians could do is to know them. So to refresh our minds, let us take a brief look at who our past and present chief ministers are:

First Chief Minister of Sarawak, Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan, 1963 - 1966

Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan created history when he won in the polls and was appointed as the first chief minister of Sarawak on July 22, 1963. As the chief minister of a newly independent state which helped formed Malaysia, Kalong faced many challenges from within the state and from without.

Kalong was born in August 1922 in Betong which was then administered under the Second Division of Simanggang. He was a student of St Augustine’s school. After he completed his education, he became a dresser at a Shell Company hospital in Kuala Belait, Brunei for several years. At the hospital, he was chairman of the Shell Dayak Club. He also became the founder and president of the Sarawak Dayak Association from 1958 to 1960.

He returned to Betong and established the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) in April 1961. Although he initially did not accept Tunku Abdul Rahman’s proposal on the formation of Malaysia, he eventually became a strong supporter of the federation. In the 1962 election, SNAP won many seats, earning him the trust to be chief minister. In addition, Kalong played an important role in forming Perikatan Sarawak. He was its secretary-general.

Second Chief Minister, Datuk Penghulu Tawi Sli, 1966-1974

Datuk Penghulu Tawi Sli Tini’s appointment was to save Sarawak from an escalating political crisis. Though he was initially a SNAP member, he later joined Pesaka. Tawi was born in Banting also in the then Second Division. He came from an Anglican family and he had his formal education at St Thomas’ school in Kuching until Form 3.

After he finished school, Tawi became a teacher in a mission school while undergoing training for three years to become a pastor. He then served as a clerk in a government department before retiring in 1961.

In 1963, Tawi was appointed a Penghulu and started to become active in politics. He became the secretary of SNAP Simanggang. Tawi was among several candidates for the chief minister’s post in 1963. Due to several factors, he joined Pesaka in 1966.

Third Chief Minister of Sarawak Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub, 1970 - 1981

Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub was a charismatic leader with a clear vision of what he wanted. He became chief minister when armed communist terrorists challenged Sarawak’s independence. Rahman was born in Kampung Jepak, Bintulu, on January 3, 1928. He was a student of Sekolah Aichi and then St Joseph’s school in Miri. A driven young man, he attended night class while working for Shell in Miri during the day.

Rahman passed his Senior Cambridge examination and continued his education at the University of Southampton in Britain where he graduated with a law degree. Upon returning to Sarawak, Rahman was appointed as a deputy public prosecutor. As a highly educated person with a deep interest in politics, he established Barisan Anak Jati Sarawak (Barjasa). He eventually resigned as a public prosecutor and contested as a Barjasa candidate in 1963 but lost.

Nevertheless, he was brought to Kuala Lumpur and appointed as Land and Minerals Minister and later Education Minister. In 1969, he contested in the election, which was postponed to 1970. This time he won. The win also came after the merger of Panas and Barjasa which became Parti Bumiputera in 1966.

No party, however, won with a clear majority during the polls and this caused some parties to find suitable partners. In this respect, Rahman was successful in convincing SUPP to help form a coalition government in 1970 with him as the chief minister. Rahman stepped down as chief minister in 1981 and was appointed Yang Di-Pertua Negeri, a position he held until 1985.

Fourth Chief Minister of Sarawak Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, 1981—Present

Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is the longest serving chief minister and elected representative. He is a leader who is courageous and far-sighted. After graduating in law from the University of Adelaide, Taib joined the Judiciary Department in February 1962. He was appointed a member of the Council Negeri on July 22, 1963, when he was only 27 years old.

Taib was born in Miri on May 21, 1936, after his parents had moved from Mukah. He is the eldest among seven siblings. He had his early education at St Joseph’s Primary School in Miri and continued his education at St Joseph’s Secondary School in Kuching. Taib scored excellent results in the Senior Cambridge examination, which enabled him to obtain a Shell Scholarship to further his study at University of Adelaide in 1958.

In the first Sarawak Cabinet, Taib was appointed Communication and Works Minister from 1963 to 1966 and as Development and Forest Minister in 1967. He was later called up to join the Federal Cabinet until 1981. Taib was appointed to numerous portfolios such as Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry (1968 - 1970), Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (1970- 1972), Primary Industries Minister (1977), Defence Minister (1978), Information Minister as well as Socio Economic Planning and Research Minister (1979) and Federal Territories Minister (1980).

In 1981, Taib returned to Sarawak to contest in the Sebandi by-election. After he won, he was appointed chief minister. He was the assemblyman for Sebandi until 1987 and after that, he became the Asajaya assemblyman until the 2006 state election when he decided to contest in Balingian. Taib was also Samarahan member of parliament from 1970 to 2008.

(Profiles of the chief ministers were translated from the official 45th anniversary souvenir book, ‘Perayaan 45 tahun Sarawak maju dalam Malaysia, 1963 - 2008’).

Road vs River

Rakyat : Bina jalan raya ganti sungai

SIBU 29 Julai - Ketua masyarakat dan Tuai Rumah dalam Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Ngemah, Kanowit, dekat sini, memohon agar kerajaan mengutamakan pembinaan jalan raya untuk menghubungkan kawasan berkenaan dengan pekan Kanowit. Tuai Rumah Salang Manggau, 61, berkata, jalan raya dapat mengurangkan kos pengangkutan mereka untuk berulang-alik ke pekan berbanding menggunakan bot berenjin sangkut yang menelan belanja lebih mahal.

''Kami sudah tidak larat lagi menanggung kos petrol setiap kali menggunakan bot enjin sangkut. Cuba bayangkan perjalanan ulang-alik dari Rantau Lugai, Ulu Ngemah ke pekan Kanowit menggunakan enjin sangkut 30 kuasa kuda menelan kos kira-kira RM350. Setiap penumpang juga terpaksa membayar tambang sebanyak RM60 bagi setiap perjalanan dan jumlah tersebut sangat membebankan memandangkan kami tidak mempunyai hasil pendapatan lain selain bergantung kepada hasil tani," katanya.

Permohonan beliau itu disuarakan dalam sesi dialog dengan Ahli Parlimen Kanowit, Aaron Dagang yang diadakan di Skim Penempatan Semula Nanga Tada, dekat sini, kelmarin. Turut hadir pada majlis itu ialah kira-kira 350 orang ketua masyarakat dan tuai rumah. Menurut Salang, terdapat juga keluarga yang terpaksa menyediakan empat gelen petrol untuk menghantar anak mereka ke Sekolah Kebangsaan Nanga Jagau yang merupakan sekolah paling dekat di kawasan tersebut.

Segelen minyak di Nanga Jagau, katanya, dijual pada harga RM17 dan kos bagi empat gelen minyak petrol menelan belanja sebanyak RM68. Rumah panjang Salang terletak kira-kira 12 jam perjalanan menaiki bot dari pekan Kanowit menyusuri Sungai Rajang sebelum mudik ke Sungai Ngemah. Ia merupakan salah satu daripada 170 buah rumah panjang di tiga buah sungai utama di daerah Kanowit iaitu Sungai Ngemah, Sungai Poi dan Sungai Machan yang masih belum dihubungi dengan kemudahan jalan raya dari pekan Kanowit.

Majoriti penduduk di kawasan tersebut bergantung sepenuhnya kepada pengangkutan air. Semasa sesi dialog tersebut, mereka yang hadir turut mencadangkan supaya mendirikan pejabat Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna (KPDNHEP) di Kanowit. Ini bertujuan memudahkan pihak penguat kuasa agensi itu memantau harga barang di Kanowit.

Kerajaan juga turut diminta supaya membawa lebih banyak aktiviti pembangunan kerana mereka berpendapat selain memajukan daerah Kanowit, ia juga menyediakan peluang pekerjaan sekali gus meningkatkan taraf hidup penduduk di daerah itu. Dalam pada itu, Aaron ketika menjawab setiap cadangan yang dikemukakan menasihatkan masyarakat di kawasan berkenaan supaya akur dan memahami akan perubahan yang dihadapi mereka sekarang. Katanya, kenaikan harga minyak petrol dan barang dialami di seluruh negara.

''Kerajaan amat mengambil berat dengan kesusahan yang dihadapi oleh rakyat sekarang dengan mewujudkan pelbagai program dan pendekatan untuk mengurangkan beban," katanya. Menurut beliau, misalnya baru-baru ini Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat melancarkan projek 'Social Safety Net' yang menghendaki setiap ahli Parlimen mendaftarkan mereka yang miskin, menghadapi penyakit kronik, tua dan orang kurang upaya (OKU) di kawasan mereka untuk diberi bantuan.

Kerajaan juga, kata beliau, turut membantu mempermudahkan proses pinjaman bank daripada Agrobank dan Bank Rakyat bagi membantu mereka yang menjalankan perniagaan kecil dan bertani untuk meningkatkan lagi hasil dan produktiviti.

''Rakyat harus berpandangan jauh dengan memanfaatkan sepenuhnya segala kemudahan yang dilaksanakan kerajaan, lebih-lebih lagi dalam mengharungi cabaran dunia pada masa kini," ujarnya.

Taib & Jabu : Sarawak impi sistem pengangkutan sungai terbaik

KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak mahu membangunkan sistem pengangkutan sungai yang terbaik di kalangan negara-negara yang lebih maju berbanding Malaysia. Ketua Menteri Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud berkata, matlamat itu sudah dirintis dengan kajian Sistem Pengangkutan Sungai Sarawak (SWIT) yang bermula pada Mac 2007.

“Kita bangga dengan sistem pengurusan sungai yang sedia ada dan telah diiktiraf lebih maju berbanding negeri-negeri lain dalam Malaysia. Bagaimanapun, saya harap kita tidak berpuas hati setakat ini sahaja,” katanya dalam teks ucapan yang dibacakan oleh Timbalan Ketua Menteri Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang di sini, semalam. Jabu mewakili Taib melancarkan buku ‘Refleksi dari sungai-sungai Sarawak’ yang merupakan sebahagian daripada hasil kajian terhadap sistem pengangkutan sungai di Sarawak.

Menurut Taib, hasil kajian SWIT akan digunakan untuk merangka pelan induk yang bertujuan menambahbaik sistem pengangkutan sungai. Pelan berkenaan bakal menekankan aspek keselamatan, kecekapan, kebersihan dan juga merangkumi aspek sosio-ekonomi iaitu menaiktaraf pendapatan penduduk miskin. Malah, ia bertujuan untuk memudahkan penduduk luar bandar yang tidak mempunyai akses jalan raya ke pekan atau bandar dengan kemudahan kesihatan dan pendidikan.

Sarawak memiliki 55 batang sungai yang panjang keseluruhannya 5,000 kilometer. Kajian berkenaan merupakan usaha sama antara Program Pembangunan Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (UNDP) dan Lembaga Sungai-sungai Sarawak (LSS). Mengenai buku yang kaya dengan gambar-gambar berkaitan sungai dan kegunaannya, Taib berkata, ia signifikan dengan kehidupan penduduk Sarawak sejak zaman-berzaman.

“Sejak beberapa generasi, sungai-sungai di Sarawak sudah sebati dengan komuniti dan merupakan sebahagian warisan semulajadi negeri. Perbincangan mengenai Sarawak tidak lengkap jika tidak membincangkan peranan sungai yang berkait rapat dengan masyarakat,” katanya. Buku yang diterbikan dengan kerjasama The Borneo Post itu juga diharapkan dapat meningkatkan kesedaran di kalangan masyarakat umum. Turut hadir, Timbalan Menteri Pelancongan Dato Sri Sulaiman Taib.

Nicol places transportation on priority list

KUCHING: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) national goodwill ambassador Datuk Nicol Ann David says she hopes to play a bigger role in bringing development and betterment to the transportation system in Malaysia, particularly in the rural areas of Sarawak. The reigning world women’s number one squash player said yesterday her recent trip to far-flung Punan Bah, about 80km from Kapit opened her eyes to the challenges of living in the rural area where there were no highways which city dwellers like herself are accustomed to.

“Public transport in the rural areas is so much different compared to that in the city. In the rural areas the people rely on rivers, and it’s hard to change from this lifestyle (living in a city) to that. The trip (to Punan Bah) is part of UNDP projects and I hope to take part in other projects so that I can be more involved with the government in improving the transportation system and preserve the rivers,” she told The Borneo Post here. Nicol was on a three-day working trip to Sarawak to visit and experience the rural life in Punan Bah and share the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with school children there. The Punan is one of ethnic groups under the Orang Ulu community and Punan Bah is the largest and oldest Punan longhouse in Sarawak.

Her final day in the state ended with a ‘Lunch and Learn’ programme and a river cruise along Sarawak River where she gave a motivational talk and told stories, and presented mementos to UNDP’s partners in the Sarawak Inland Waterway Transport (SIWT) Education and Awareness Programme on board the MV Equatorial. Nicol said she visited Sarawak several times previously but never had the chance to explore the interior areas. This trip with UNDP and Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) provided her the window of opportunity to the unique rural landscape and lifestyles.

“I flew from Kuching to Sibu and from Sibu, (on Monday) I traveled by an express boat for six hours to Punan Bah with a short break in Kapit,” she said. She said the journey also taught her how a rural town like Kapit and its citizens depended on the river for survival, adding that the landscape along the Batang Rajang also changed as the express boat moved deeper into the interior. She said she stayed at the village headman’s house and felt so welcomed by their warm hospitality although a fire in early May almost wiped out the entire longhouse and destroyed four ‘keliriengs’ (burial poles) believed to be among the oldest ‘keliriengs’ found in Sarawak.

“They were so hospitable and still so happy with what they had despite the fire,” she said. During her stay at Punan Bah, Nicol visited the primary school and told children’s story, which bore green messages and what young people could do to make the world a better place to live in.

“They were simply amazing - so attentive, responsive and excited with our visit,” she said. She said she felt touched with written messages from the children who thanked and invited her to visit the village again. She added that she enjoyed the trip, and being a UNDP goodwill ambassador gave her an opportunity to reach out to young people across the community and be their voice on pertinent current issues. The next day, she traveled by speed boat to Belaga and from Belaga, she rode on a four-wheel drive vehicle to Bintulu, and from there, flew to Kuching. The SIWT System Study was launched on March 28 last year.

UNDP and SRB carried out the SIWT study to support the government’s strategy as outlined in the Ninth Malaysia Plan to develop rivers in Sarawak as an integral part of the state’s transportation network. The project aims to formulate a masterplan that will enhance the development of Sarawak’s waterways as a viable and sustainable infrastructure network, increase mobility and access to the rural areas, enhance opportunities for tourism, and provide profitable, long-term economic activities. The masterplan will cover the period to 2020 and will also incorporate a five-year action plan that will be implemented by SRB.

The SIWT Education and Awareness Programme has completed 10 programmes across nine divisions in Sarawak, promoting the importance of Inland Waterway Transport, community participation, river cleanliness and safety. Almost 2,000 participants have been involved in the programmes, jointly conducted by UNDP’s key partners from the Education Department, Natural Resources and Environment Board, Fire and Rescue Department, Sarawak Health Department, The Borneo Post, and the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations of Malaysia.

On July 24, UNDP and SRB will be launching ‘Reflections From Sarawak’s Rivers’, a coffee table book in Kuala Lumpur, which explores the intricate links between the rivers and the communities of Sarawak. In connection with the launch, a photo exhibition themed ‘A Journey Through Sarawak’s Rivers A Human Development Perspective’ will be held at Hilton Kuala Lumpur, and followed by lunch with Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

400 families near Bakun served eviction notices

BAKUN: Some 2,000 people from 400 families living downstream of the RM6bil Bakun hydro-electric dam project site in Belaga district in central Sarawak had been served eviction notices by the State Land and Survey Department. Over the past 48 hours, numerous houses and longhouse blocks in four different locations not far from the Bakun dam site had already been demolished. The Star visited the affected areas and found many more houses and longhouse blocks painted with red numbers on their doors, a sign that they too have been marked for demolition.

Bintulu Land and Survey Department superintendent Azmaen Saperi said the department had issued eviction notices to those houses and longhouse blocks that are deemed to have been built illegally on state land. The headmen of the various settlements affected by the eviction notices, however, claimed that they have ancestral rights over the land and that they have native customary land rights to live in the region. The Star visited the Bakun region over the past two days and saw natives whose houses and farmhuts had been demolished demonstrating and others holding blockades to prevent enforcement officers from entering. Rumah Apan deputy headman Merang Jok said some 400 families had received eviction notices.

"We have hired a Bintulu-based lawyer Paul Raja to take the state government and the State Land and Survey to court. Our ancestors have been living here since 130 years ago. In fact, the Sarawak Museum has a copy of a gazette dated August 1, 1882, describing a visit by a government leader to our settlement here in Bakun. After living here for so long, we are shocked to receive these eviction notices. Now, they (Land and Survey enforcement units) have already started tearing down our premises," he said when interviewed at the ruins of a longhouse block that was torn down on Wednesday.

Lawyer Raja, when contacted, said he is preparing to file court action to try to help the affected families. Catholic priest turned social activist Father Michael Jok visited the affected residents, many of whom are his friends.

"We are trying various channels to resolve the issue. I am trying to negotiate a peaceful solution with the land development companies. The affected residents are trying to seek help from the court to halt the demolition. Hopefully, there will be an amicable solution. The affected folks are farmers. Where will they go if they are evicted from the Bakun region? This downstream area is not affected by the dam construction.

"The 15,000 Bakun folks upstream of the dam had already been moved out because their areas would be flooded. Now, even the downstream folks are being forced out even though they are not affected by the flooding. I was informed that these downstream areas are to be cleared for opening of oil palm plantations," he said. Another lawyer Ali Basah, who handles cases in northern Sarawak, had forwarded appeal letters to the Home Minister, the Prime Minister's Department, the Attorney-General Chambers and the state politicians asking for urgent intervention to stop the demolition.

Executive Skills Test

WASHINGTON - When it comes to critical leadership characteristics, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama tops Republican rival John McCain hands down, according to a self-styled business leadership guru.

John McKee, a founder of DirecTV who now works as an author, motivational speaker and career coach, says Obama outscores McCain when judged against 10 critical characteristics of great leaders, such as knowing what you stand for, helping others succeed, being a good listener and being honest and ethical.

Of the 10 leadership characterists he judged most critical, McKee said Obama outranked McCain on seven and tied him on the other three. McCain did not outrank Obama on any of the 10 measures of leadership, McKee said.

Here are McKee’s leadership rankings and scores. Has he got it right? How would you judge the two presidential candidates?

01 Great leaders run their businesses with purpose, clearly knowing their values, goals and objectives. Obama beats McCain.

02 Great leaders help others to succeed. Obama beats McCain.

03 Great leaders give back to the community. Obama-McCain tie.

04 Great leaders are willing and able to overcome daunting obstacles to achieve their goals. Obama-McCain tie.

05 Great leaders are also great listeners. Obama beats McCain.

06 Great leaders appreciate face-to-face dialogue. Obama beats McCain.

07 Great leaders are honest and ethical. Obama beats McCain.

08 Great leaders understand the difference between power and force. Obama beats McCain.

09 Great leaders excel in difficult environments and get results. Obama-McCain tie.

10 Great leaders continually upgrade their skills. Obama beats McCain.

Longhouse lot’s new nightmare

The Star Online MIRI: The 400-odd longhouse folk from Rumah PeeMillo, a rural longhouse 100km south of here who are facing eviction now claim that thugs are harassing the women, children and old folk. The residents claimed that these thugs were outsiders who had been sent to bully them into leaving their homes.

The residents of Rumah PeeMillo had been issued eviction notices by the State Land and Survey Department on June 25. The department had given an oil palm giant provisional leases to open up more than 2,000ha of land in the Suai sub-district near the Miri-Bintulu divisional boundary to be turned into oil palm plantations. Rumah PeeMillo is located within the land covered by these leases. The residents have refused to move, saying that they have native customary rights over the land.

On June 27, they took to the streets of Miri City and camped outside the Miri District Office, appealing for help, vowing to sleep and live on the streets if they were chased out of their longhouse. Miri Resident Ose Murang negotiated for a temporary reprieve from the eviction deadline following an appeal by former Baram MP Harrison Ngau. Murang has forwarded the residents' plight to the State Cabinet, and pending a decision from Kuching, they were allowed to stay put.However, the residents complained to Harrison yesterday that groups of outsiders had gone to their homes on several occasions and intimidated them.

Ask for full oil revenue

Democratic Action Party (DAP) assemblyman Voon Lee Shan said politicians and political parties in Sabah and Sarawak should demand for full oil revenue. He disagreed that the demand for oil royalty for the two states be increased to just 20 per cent. In a press statement yesterday, Voon, who is also state DAP treasurer general regretted that Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) requested a 20 per cent royalty.

“If all political parties and politicians from Sabah and Sarawak could work together to negotiate and demand our oil rights back, there is no reason the federal government would not concede to our demand,” said Voon. This, he said was because in every parliamentary election, both states contributed to about one-third of all seats won by Barisan Nasional (BN).

He pointed out that both states contributed two-thirds of the country’s oil revenue, but only got a paltry five per cent of the revenue. Voon said the oil revenues from Sabah and Sarawak should not be used ‘to save sick government-linked companies (GLC)’, but be used as medical funds for the people of the two states suffering from chronic diseases and for pension funds for senior citizens.

The government should have the political courage to compare local fuel prices with oil producing countries in the Middle East, Africa and South America, and not with non-oil producing countries, he said. He claimed the prices of petrol in Kuwait was only 67 sen a litre, Egypt RM1.03 per litre, Saudi Arabia 38 sen, Nigeria 32 sen and Venezuela 16 sen, while petrol in the country had rocketed to RM2.70 per litre. Prices of petrol in Brunei, an oil producing country, was only RM1.24 per litre, he noted.

Gawai Dayak 2008

"Ku Hulur Salam Seharum Tiger Beer, Kasih Sayang Sejernih Ai Langkau, Setulus hati seputih Barcadi, walaupun dosaku sehitam Stout, ku mohon ampun sebanyak RM10 x 3 tin Stella ...

maaf ku pinta sampai palau, tuak arak sama tau di langgak, segulai sejalai bersama tajai ... Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai ... nyangkung ngirup ke bala kitai ...! Begawai meh kitai ... nuju bala kaban belayan di Sarawak"

Petronas Paid Sarawak 4.821 Billion

KUALA LUMPUR: National oil company Petronas paid out a total of RM26.839 billion in royalties to the federal government and the state governments of Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak for the financial years ended March 2004 till March 2007. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Amirsham A Aziz said the royalty paid to the federal government was RM13.420 billion, Terengganu RM7.364 billion, Sabah RM1.234 billion and Sarawak RM4.821 billion. He said the country’s crude oil reserves and condensate were expected to last 22 years while the gas reserves 39 years.

“Although it looks like the reserves period is long, the reality is the country is also importing oil and gas to partly cater to the local demand. Therefore, the country is expected to become a net importer of energy in the near term projected to be by 2014,” he said during the question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat sitting yesterday. He was replying to a question from Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh). On Petronas contribution or royalties to the states, he said they were paid according to the formula that had been fixed which is five per cent or half of the royalty received by the federal government.

Amirsham said the petroleum and gas products exported by the subsidiary companies of Petronas are based on world market prices while in the domestic market, the prices of pr 2dd5 oducts sold are partly fixed by the government such as the sale of gas to the electric sector and non electric sector. Petronas recorded a total revenue of RM165.3 billion from the sales of its petroleum and gas products for the financial year ended March 31, 2007. To a question on whether the government had agreed to paying Sarawak a royalty rate of 20 per cent for the oil from new oil fields, Amirsham said as at this point the government had no plans to review the royalty.

Selfish Dayak Leaders Blasted

There were stone-cold glances, uneasy smiles and silence among the 500-odd Dayak community leaders from the powerful Sarawak Dayak National Union who were in the hotel ballroom. Senior Dayak leader Dato Sri William Mawan Ikom had just treaded on raw, sensitive nerves. In his opening address at the union’s swearing-in of the new office-bearers, the state minister for Social Development had blasted certain selfish Dayak leaders for having waylaid Dayak community and social organizations and business entities.

He accused them of neglecting the people by meddling in party politics, misusing their NGOs to propel their personal political ambitions and helming top positions in these NGOs just to get close to politicians. Mawan had hit the bull-eyes, sensitive as it may be. It is an issue that had not been openly discussed in the state before, even though it was an open secret. Mawan could have scored some political mileage if he had used the function for the usual purpose of saying niceties and patting-on-the-shoulder public relation stuffs. The timing for his criticism could not have been more appropriate.

It was the 56th anniversary of the founding of the union, which was supposed to function as the umbrella body for the 1.5 million Dayaks in Sarawak. The Dayaks are still far behind other races in commerce and industry and general standard of living because the union and the Dayak organizations under its armpits had been disunited, with leaders quarrelling among themselves due to politics, unable to focus on their appointed tasks of bringing progress to the common folks. There is no denying that many leaders of these Dayak NGOs had used their posts to “angkat” and become allies with political heavyweights.

Business bodies became entangled in political wrangling among rival party leaders. Even welfare groups set up to help the needy became stepping stones for certain leaders to engage in politicking. These political aspirants used their position in NGOs to become well known among political circles, to be seen among the VIPs and to rub shoulders with those in power and to garner support for future moves. An example can be found here.

A centre that was set up to help the less fortunate fell into the iron-grip of a president who had political ambitions. He used his post in this organisation to “angkat” politicians. He spent most of his time dabbling in politics, with little time left to plan how to help the needy folk in the organisation he heads. This went on for years and as a result, the needy were left jobless and living in a dilapidated centre for more than 10 years, surviving only on RM150 welfare assistance every month. Some kind-hearted volunteers had to intervene and brought these people out of the depths of misery by finding them part-time jobs and enrolling them for handicraft-making classes.

The SDNU had welcomed Mawan’s message and during the union election over the weekend, appointed a non-politician to helm the president’s post. It is the first time in its history that the union is headed by someone who is not from any political party. New president Mengga Mikui is a businessman. “I will return SDNU to its original path of bringing social and economic progress to the Dayaks. SDNU will become non-political, as it should have been,” he said. However, he stressed that it is not possible to avoid having links with politicians or political parties as their support was needed for projects to be implemented. The 1.5 million Dayaks in Sarawak – comprising the Ibans, Bidayuhs and Orang Ulus would be eagerly waiting for Mikui to roll out his plans for the SDNU. They have waited 56 years for a good leader who can lead them up the ladder of progress.

My Mother Tongue

Dear Remaung Negung,

I am very happy see engrish something like cannot die here is very funny ... I belive the truth is there ... you know English men told us if you want to learn English you must come to Cambridge and Americans told us to go to Harvard ... but majority of Chinese think that Chinese language is as popular as English and assuming that everybody in this world should have already learnt ... so English in China is written by those who haven't learnt yet! here in Sakhalin have you come across Russian who keep talking to you in Russia language even knowing you are not Russian? Same psychology I think ... My mother tongue should be above all language.

Regards



Ng Kim

Superintendent
Electrical Department
Sakhalin II LNG Project
Russian Federation

The Sword of Gadom

This sword is belongs to the great Gadom of Awek. The brothers of this sword and their successor probably still exist somewhere in Julau and Kapit area.

The Others

“JPA’s application form, whether via Internet or hard copy, would have a section where an applicant would be required to enter his or her race, and only four racial categories were provided – Malay, Chinese, Indian and Others.”

“The Bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak are grouped as ‘Others’, and it is as though the natives are not recognized and do not exist on earth. Speaking as an indigenous person, I would feel like an outcast when filling up the application form as I am just under the ‘Others’ group because I am not a Malay or Chinese or Indian.”

Sabah and Sarawak had contributed 54 parliamentary seats to Barisan Nasional in the March 8 polls.

Tan Sri Simon Sipaun
Vice-president
Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam)

Natives Customary Reserve

Five Ibans released

The Star Online MIRI April 24, 2008 The native longhouse chief and four community elders whose arrest last week sparked off a controversy have been freed. Tuai Rumah Rajang Sengalang and his fellow farmers, Awat, Edi Ingah, Angking Chundau and Awa, were brought to the Miri Court Complex yesterday and released on police bail.

According to police, they had been detained on Friday in connection with the arrest of a man found in possession of a pistol on April 14 near the Suai-Batu Niah junction. Yesterday, the police released the five Iban farmers, all from Rumah Rajang in the rural district of Suai, 100km south of here, after the prosecution had decided not to file any charges following the expiry of their remand order.

“The police did not find enough evidence to link them to any crimes. The other man has also been released,” said a police source. Rumah Rajang is in an area where land is being cleared to make way for an oil palm plantation covering some 2,200ha.

Longhouse Chief’s Arrest Sparks Controversy

The Star Online MIRI April 20, 2008 The arrest of a native longhouse chief and four of his community elders has sparked a controversy in the rural district of Suai, some 100km south of here. The police claimed that the group was suspected to be involved in an armed robbery, and was linked to another local who was found in possession of a pistol recently.

The longhouse chief and those arrested, however, claimed that they were arrested because they had staged a protest against an oil palm company that wanted to clear more than 2,000ha of native land for a plantation project. The chief and the four men were arrested by a team of police officers from Miri and taken to the Miri central police station on Friday.

Yesterday, the group sought the help of the Borneo Resources Institute, a non-governmental organisation involved in environmental conservation and protection of community rights. Institute executive director Mark Bujang said a team of CID personnel from Miri visited the longhouse a few days ago and had asked the chief and the four men to go to the Batu Niah police station to give statements. The statements were in connection with the arrest of the man with the pistol.

“After the longhouse chief and the four men went to the Batu Niah police station, they were arrested and brought to Miri,” he said. Bujang said the chief was also arrested in November last year for allegedly attacking the workers of the project. However, he denied the charges. He added that the Environmental Impact Assessment report for the project had earlier been rejected by the Government. Miri police chief Asst Comm Jamaluddin Ibrahim said he would seek more details from his men.

The Colorful Dayak

In Sarawak ... Dayak = 3 major sub-ethnics Iban + Bidayuh + Orang Ulu (Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Lun Bawang, Penan, Kajang, Kejaman, Punan, Ukit, Murut, Berawan, Saban dan Sebob)

Sakhalin II LNG Project

Ni lah dia ... crew Sanko Engineering dari Malaysia ... datang berjasa di Pulau Sakhalin, Russia untuk orang Russong dengan menyumbang tenaga mahir dalam industri pembinaan Oil & Gas. Plant LNG ini dinamakan Sakhalin II LNG Plant dan ia merupakan projek yang agak sukar di laksanakan kerana faktor cuaca yang terlampau sejuk sehingga mencecah -35 darjah celcus. Jumlah crew 110 orang adalah gabungan Electrician, Instrument Fitter dan Welder yang berasal dari seluruh Malaysia. Kebanyakan mereka sangat berpengalaman dan pernah berjasa membina Malaysia LNG Plant di Bintulu, Sarawak. Perghhh ... habaq hang! Power sungguh depa ini ...

Bilik Penaik

Ai panas bisa ujan bangat
Dunya belinggang bintang berasap
Ai sebar Ai basa Ai adat
Digela ke selulut ribut anging balat
Mangka ke tapang bandung empat
Bejaku tak kucap-kucap
Mata pan tak kesap-kesap
Kaki angkat jari pan besilat
Lalu mandam atap kesingkap ladang gerunggang