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.