SIBU-Gateway to political tsunami in Sarawak

MIRI: Two opposition leaders believed that the Sarawakians are ready for change and that the political tsunami that had swept the Peninsular Malaysia in the 2008 election had finally landed in Sarawak through Sibu.

“The victory to the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) through the DAP in Sibu is a sweet confirmation that the political tsunami had finally landed in Sarawak. Both the rural and the urban areas are hungry and waiting for political change,” said the president of Sarawak National Party (SNAP) Edwin Dundang.

“The people in Sibu have voted for change. I believe that the people of Miri will emulate the courage of the people in Sibu in the next state election in voting for change,” said the chairman of Democratic Action Party (DAP) Fong Pau Teck.

Both of them were interviewed by the Borneo Post for their comments on the Sibu by-election which was won by Wong Ho Leng of DAP by a 398-vote majority against Robert Lau of Barisan Nasional (BN).

Fong was of the opinion that the state election will not be held soon.

“Had BN won the Sibu by-election, the state election would be held this year to capitalise on their win. As it turned out, the state government will definitely delay the state election to next year. But this will not stop the political tsunami that had started in Sibu from sweeping through the whole of Sarawak in the coming state election,” said Fong, who had stood as opposition candidate in Miri on at least two occasions but lost.

Edwin attributed the win by newly formed opposition pact in the state (PR) to three factors.

The PR made the right choice of candidate in Wong Ho Leng. The second factor was the overwhelming support of the people who are ready for change. The third factor was the level of unity shown by the PR and the hardworking PR leaders that had campaigned through the width and length of the constituency.

“This victory is indeed historic because this is the first time that PR contested in any election and won. This win has a far-reaching significance toward the two-party system in Malaysia,” said Edwin.

“The victory by PR was a feat in itself. Sibu has been the stronghold of BN and in spite of the billions of ringgit worth of projects being poured into Sibu during the by-election, this is the first time the people reject ''money politics'' that the law cannot control,” he added.

Edwin said the win by the opposition in the Sibu by election signalled that people in Sarawak had awakened from their political slumber. ENDS.



“There is hope on the horizon for a political change” said Edwin. ENDS.

SARAWAK'S SELLING POINT IS ITS FRIENDLY PEOPLE

MIRI: Sarawak's strongest selling point in the tourism industry is its people, said the deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri George Chan Hong Nam.

“We like others, have exciting tourist destinations to offer to the world, but nothing beats the friendliness and outstanding hospitality of Sarawakians. Sarawakians have generous smiles to give to visitors to Sarawak. We are by nature,friendly people and this is our biggest asset as far as tourism is concerned,” said Chan, who is also the minister of tourism and heritage.

He said this when officiating the opening ceremony of the international conference: Linking Culture, Nature and Community Through Ecotourism yesterday.

Also present were the assistant minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Datuk Lee Kim Shin, who is also the assistant minister of Social Development and Urbanisation; Pujut assemblyman Andy Chia, the Pro Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Ian Kerr, the director-general of Islamic Tourism Centre Zainuddin Abdul Wahab.

The inaugural international conference on the subject was jointly organised by the Curtin University of Technology Sarawak campus and the Islamic Tourism Centre.

Chan said the state government view ecotourism as very important for its relationship with conservation, sustainability and biological diversity.

“I agree wholeheartedly that local and indigenous community involvement is essential in ecotourism, as such communities-as inhabitants of the land and heirs to the local cultural heritage-should indeed have a stake and a major role to play,” said Chan.

“There are many examples of forward-thinking rural communities here in Sarawak that have embarked on ecotourism exploits on their won initiatives or with state support, established homestay programmes and building homestay dwellings so that tourists can experience life in their communities or learn more about their lifestyles and cultures,” added Chan.

More than 60 participants from 18 countries took part in the conference.

The keynote address was delivered by the deputy tourism minister Datuk Dr James Dawot Mamit.ENDS.

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Caption: ECOTOURISM THE LINK: Chan beating the gong to officially open the conference.Also seen from left are Chia, Lee, Kerr and Zainuddin.

8,000 Kenyahs in Belaga laid claim on ancestral land

BELAGA: About 8,000 Kenyahs from four longhouses in Belaga laid claim on their ancestral land through a resolution to the land and survey department with the hope of jointly developing their land for their future generations.

Initially, only two longhouses joint forces but later two other longhouses were included reflecting a strong sense of unity among the Kenyahs in Belaga to work together to get things done.

“We wish to develop our land in line with the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) projects like fish rearing, planting of coconuts, ecotourism, goat and cow rearing. We welcome interested parties who wish to develop our area, but they must discuss and sign any memorandum of understanding with the joint committee first,” said the secretary of the joint committee of Lebu Kulit, Uma Bakah, Uma Balui Ukap and Uma Lesong Dennis Hang Bilang.

The resolution was handed over to the Kapit Land and Survey department superintendent Alfian Bawi during a simple ceremony on 28 April 2010 at Uma Bakah Belaga.

Present were the deputy chairman Edin Anyie and several Kenyah community leaders from the four longhouses.

Through the joint committee, Dennis said the Kenyahs in Belaga can together with the other communities in the state enjoy the rapid pace of development that is now taking place.
“We can develop our land like the rest in the state if our claim to our ancestral land is recognised. Our ancestors were given the land during the Brooke rule in the early 1950s and we have the map to show the land that were given to our ancestors,” said Dennis.

“We want to seize every business opportunities once the Bakun Dam on like going into fish rearing and tourism,” he added. ENDS.



Caption: RESOLUTION FOR A BETTER FUTURE: Edin (centre) with the committee members showing the resolution before handing it over to the department for consideration.

KILLER RETURNS TO FACE JUDGEMENT

A man who escaped to Indonesia after killing a man had a change of heart and save enough money  to return and face possible death sentence.

He was driven by consuming guilt conscience that his buddy was charge for the killing of the old man, while he himself was free at home.

With no peace of mind, the man made a great effort to come back to face the law.

When he first received the news from his brother who was in Miri about the friend being charged for murder in June last year, he wanted to make the trip immediately. However, he had no money to renew his passport.

He had to wait for a few months until November last year to save enough money to renew his passport and came back to Miri, knowing fully well he could possibly be hanged.

When he came back to Miri, he chose to work at his former place with the hope that he would be caught by the police.

He was finally caught by the police on 23 January 2010, exactly a year after the incident.

However, in court yesterday, he faced alternative charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, an offence under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code which if liable to imprisonment sentence not exceeding 30 years.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 years jail.

According to the charge, he caused the death of one Jaffar bin Mohammad on 25 January 2009 at 12:30 until 1:30pm at the area of Tamu Ikan Kampung Batu Satu.

According to the facts of the case, the accused Jepri Anggut and his friend by the name of Abdul bin Jahim went to meet Jaffar bin Mohammad (the deceased) at the area of Tamu Ikan, Kampung Tanjung Batu, Jalan Kuala Baram Miri to ask the deceased about one handphone and cash money amounting to RM1,200 belongs to the accused which were missing.

They went there using a motorcycle. When they arrived there, they saw the deceased was sewing a casting net inside a boat. Then, the accused went to approach the deceased and asked about the missing items. Abdul bin Jahirin remained on the motorcycle.

After that, there was a quarrel between the accused and the deceased pertaining to the missing items and later on the deceased alighted from the boat, pick up one piece of plastic pipe and walked toward the accused. Then the deceased hit the accused by using the plastic pipe but the accused managed to grab the plastic pipe from the deceased. During the fight, the accused managed to hit the deceased's head by using the helmet that he was holding. The accused also managed to hit the deceased's body and head by using the plastic pipe grabbed from the deceased. As a result, the deceased fell down on the ground.

After the deceased fell on the ground the accused saw a piece of wood and the accused took the piece of wood and hit the deceased's head several times while the deceased was lying on the ground. When the accused saw the deceased was motionless the accused ran away to Abdul who was sitting on the motorcycle and they left the scene using the motorcycle.

The body of the deceased was later found motionless by Saminan Matyasin at about 1:30pm. The body of the deceased was later brought to Miri Hospital by the police and a post mortem had been conducted by Dr Jamil bin Dolkadir. From the post mortem conducted, the cause of death was due to intercranial haemorrage with a large fracture of skull due to blunt head injury.

A representative of the Indonesian Embassy in Kuching, Monica Ari Wijayanti was in court to observe the court proceeding.

DIRTY COPS IN MIRI

Five policemen were arrested in Miri on suspicion of extortion  on Tuesday this week.

A foreigner made a police report against five policemen here Monday, alleging that he and a friend were extorted by the lawkeepers while they were waiting for their bus at the city centre.

A remand order of four days were placed upon the five suspects by the magistrate court yesterday.

The remand order was made by lower court registrar Dora Undau after allowing the request made by the investigating officer.

In the request, the investigating officer told the court on 19 April 2010, an Indonesian man made a police report at the Miri Central Police station.

In the report, the complainant alleged that at 11am on 4 April 2010 while waiting for bus with a friend at the bus stop infront of the Miri City Council, they were approached by five uniformed policemen.

               According to the complainant, the five policemen proceeded to demand the Indonesian men to show their travelling document.

Both of them showed their work permits to the policemen, but the policemen were not satisfied and told them the work permits were not documents for them to come out to walk about.

The policemen then directed the two Indonesian men to enter a car to bring them to the police station, where they were forced to pay a certain amount of money to the policemen in order for them to be released.

Both of them had given each RM200 to the policemen involved, besides 19 prepaid handphone cards worth RM10 each were seized from them by the policemen.

Acting on the information, at 4:05pm on 20 April, a team of policemen led by chief inspector Jeffrey Guhak arrested the suspects at the Miri Central Police station on suspicion of involvement in the case.

The court allowed  the remand application according to Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code to detain the suspects four day to facilitate police investigation.

The remand expired on 25 April 2010

Long Jawe at a crossroad

The Kenyahs Lebu Kulit of Long Jawe are at a crossroad of their history as a people, fighting for their rightful position in this land while defending their inheritance from encroachment by vested interests, said the secretary for action committee of Long Jawe Dennis Hang Bilang.

Long Jawe has a historic significance in the history of the country.

During the rule of the third Rajah Brooke on 1 April 1946, the ancestors of the Kenyah Lebu Kulit migrated from Long Jelarai in Indonesia to Tasak Aram in ulu Balui in Sarawak.

From there they were led by Nyipa Lawai, Pasan Abo and Pato Usat to move to Long Item. From Long Item they finally move to Long Jawe where Pasan Abo was appointed as the headman.

During the Indonesian Confrontation after Malaysia was formed in 1963, Long Jawe became a battleground when the British soldiers who were placed in the longhouse fought against invading Indonesian soldiers.

The people of Long Jawe were caught in the crossfire, their longhouse was fired upon with bullets and some of the able-bodied men of Long Jawe were conscripted as border scouts by the British army. A few men of Long Jawe were worth mentioning because they put their lives on the line fighting for the country, men like Liu Maling, Ubang Kasau, Along Tanyit and many more.

These men fought to defend the land they thought were their own.

It was the British that moved the people from Long Item to Long Jawe for military strategy- to defend the border, since Long Jawe was close to the border between Sarawak and Indonesia.

At first the Lebu Kulit refused to move but after being promised by the British that they would be given land, they relented but only on condition that a “surat tanah” be issued to them as proof.

At that time, there was no land and survey department, all administrative things were done through the district officer who at that time was assisted by a native officer.

On 15 June 1953, the Brooke government issued only a sketch map showing the boundary where the Lebu Kulit could settle freely.

During present day, the Kenyah Lebu Kulit were once again asked to move out of Long Jawe to make way for development vis-a-vis Bakun Dam.

While the Kenyah Lebu Kulit were resettled at Sungai Asap, albeit reluctantly, their ancestral land at Long Jawe were encroached upon.
“There were massive illegal logging being done on our land to extract timber such as meranti,” said Dennis.

According to him, they had brought the matter to court. ENDS.


Caption:
 ILLEGAL LOGGING: A group of young men from Long Jawe were dejected seeing what's happening to the forest where their ancestors roamed about.