Baru Bian dares Taib to a public debate on NCR land grabbing issue

Kuching (Jan 28, 2012): Sarawak PKR boss Baru Bian has dared Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud to a public debate if he still denies that the state government has not grabbed native customary rights (BCDR) land from the owners.

"If the chief minister still says that the government has not grabbed the NCR lands, and then give suchy lands to plantation companies under the provisional leases, then I renew my challenge to him to have the debate," Baru said today after chairing the State PKR liaison committee meeting here.

Baru first dared Taib to the public debate before the April 16, 2011 state election.

Taib, however, declined but asked Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office Tan Sri Adenan Satem to represent him in the debate with Baru.

Baru said today that since the state election, PKR had received at least 50 complaints from NCR landowners on the land grab since the state election.

“My legal firm has already opened 10 files with a view to taking court actions against the state government and plantation companies,” he said.

He said NCR land grabbing by the state government would be a major issue that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) component parties would be deploying in the coming general election which is likely to be held this year.

“We believe that this will be a major weapon for us to use in the campaign,” he said, adding that the NCR land issue had remained unresolved despite the pledge by the state government.

“Instead of resolving the issue, the government makes it worse by issuing an increasing number of PLs. Practically, the complaints of land grabbing have been received from all over Sarawak,” he said.

On the general election, Baru said the party had already identified potential candidates to contest in seats it was allocated with.

“Sarawak PKR has submitted their names to the central leadership for endorsement,” he said.

Baru, however, declined to reveal the seats it was allocated to contest.

“I can assure our supporters and members that we have made election preparation since October last year.

“We are more prepared this time when compared to our preparations for the state election,” he added, stating that the party had identified issues, its weaknesses and strengths, and what needed to be done.

Ends

Does anyone think that Taib Mahmud will allow "fair reporting" in Sarawak?

Food for thought for the editors of the Borneo Post and New Sarawak Tribune

Ahead of polls, NUJ moots 'fair reporting' pledge

Hazlan Zakaria 12:23PM Jan 27, 2012

As a stop-gap measure to encourage fair and balanced reporting in the run-up to and during the impending polls, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is mooting a ‘fair reporting pledge' for all members to sign, to show solidarity with its official stand on journalism ethics.

"Yes, the executive council has unanimously agreed on the matter as it is one of NUJ's objectives - to practise ethical journalism," its general secretary V Anbalagan (right) told Malaysiakini.

However, Anbalagan said, the council would still call for an extraordinary delegates conference to debate the issue further.

"We feel it will give legitimacy to our action if a decision is made by the highest decision making body and not (just) the exco," he explained.

Preparations are ongoing to hold the conference in late February or early March, with the 13th general election expected to be held around June.

The idea of a 'fair reporting pledge' stems from a dialogue session held by UCSI University's Malaysian Institute for Development and Asian Studies (Midas) on Jan 12, entitled "Truth Matters: The Media and GE13" attended by representatives from the NUJ, the academia and media practitioners.

The pledge was one short term solution suggested to address the deplorable state of Malaysian media practitioners, accused to be just stenographers and note takers prone to regurgitating the views of their political and commercial masters, rather than adhering to the tenets of professional journalism such as fair, balanced, accurate and analytical reporting.

'Journalists worried about losing jobs'

The forum agreed that such alleged bias, especially in the mainstream media during election periods, is a black mark on Malaysian journalism.

The move, while it may not be able to stem the tide of crooked journalism in itself, is deemed as necessary to send a firm message on NUJ's stand on the matter and the union's fortitude in pressing this issue to the powers-that-be and errant journalists.

Anbalagan admitted at the forum that the lack of fortitude on the part of NUJ members, as a result of the worry about losing their jobs, more than anything else, stood in the way of the union's fight for media freedom and ethical journalism, what is supposed to be the guiding light of their profession.

For the long haul, the NUJ also submitted its recommendations on how to ensure fair election news coverage to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms on Tuesday, focusing on the Election Commission's (EC) handling of the media and ceramah sessions during the election campaign period.

Some salient points include:

• Empowering the EC to form a media monitoring committee with enforcement powers whose duties will include issuing guidelines to print, broadcast and online media;

• To revert the sitting government to 'caretaker' status during the election period and prevent it from monopolising the mainstream and public media;

• All media, alternative and private included, to give fair, balanced and ethical coverage, give fair advertising space and right of reply to any adverse reports; and,

• EC and police to ensure speedy processing of ceramah permits and provide the necessary assistance required.

NUJ argued that such measures would not only ensure fair and balanced reporting but also lend credibility to any government elected in a non-biased electoral environment.

The semi-nomadic Penans could face the same fate?

SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE

January 26, 2012

Two years after death of the Bo yet another Andaman tribe ‘faces extinction’

Boa Sr died exactly two years ago. She was the last member of the Bo tribe. © Anvita Abbi/ Survival

Two years after India’s Andaman Islands lost the last speaker of ‘Bo’, a leading linguist has warned the Jarawa could face a similar fate unless the road running through their reserve is closed.

Professor Anvita Abbi specializes in endangered languages, and has recently published a dictionary documenting four of the oldest ones in the world.

She said, ‘unless we develop alternative sea routes, we cannot safeguard the life, culture, language and identity of one of the oldest civilizations on earth.’

Her stark prediction comes exactly two years after the death of Boa Sr, which led to the extinction of ‘Bo’, one of ten Great Andamanese languages.

The Great Andamanese were neighbours of the Jarawa, until the Indian government forcibly resettled them to Strait Island in 1970.

They once numbered 5,000. There are now 56.

Before her death, Boa Sr lamented the loss of her language to Anvita Abbi. She confided, ‘the Jarawa are lucky as they shun contact with city dwellers. It is so nice to see they’re not dependent on outsiders for food and shelter. Our boys know nothing about hunting and cannot feed themselves.’

To mark the two-year anniversary of her death, Survival International has released unique video of Boa Sr talking about the importance of holding on to a language.

Watch the video of Boa Sr

She said, ‘If they don’t speak to me now, what will they do once I've passed away? Don’t forget our language, grab hold of it.’

Jarawa girls in clothes given to them by outsiders who can enter the reserve through an illegal road. © Survival

Anvita Abbi said to Survival that Boa Sr, ‘had no idea the Jarawa would soon face the same fate as the Great Andamanese.’

Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said today, ‘At a time when evidence of human safaris has prompted global outrage, it’s vital the Indian government closes the Andaman Trunk Road. Whilst Minister Chidambaram’s public statement not to ‘thrust or impose anything on the tribe’ is deeply encouraging, the only way to truly guarantee this is by closing the road. The legacy of Boa Sr’s death should be enough of a warning.’

Contract of contractor for the Biawak Road to be terminated, says Manyin

Kuching (Jan 26, 2012): The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communications is in the process of terminating a contract work of  the contractor for the Biawak Road and Tebedu Road because of poor performance, the minister Michael Manyin said today.

Construction work commenced in 2009, and up to now, the roads were 40 per cent completed, he said when asked by reporters on complaints regarding the delay in the completion of the two roads.

The Biawak road was tendered out at a cost of RM29 million while the Tebedu road at a cost of RM9 million to the Sarawak-based company, under the RM1 billion special stimulus package.

Manyin, however, declined to reveal the name of the company when reporters suggested to him to make public the name of the company and its shareholders so that the people, especially those in Biawak and Tebedu, would know.

"It is the public dormain," he insisted when a reporter suggested that the contractor should be shamed so that in future, the company would not vie for government projects anymore.

Manyin said terminating the contract work of the contractor would not be easy as it had legal implications.

"Eventually, we have to find new contractor to complete the two roads," he said, but did not when the new contractor would be engaged.

On other matter, Manyin said it might be unfair to compare the state's trunk roads with the North South Highway and the rest of the toll roads in the peninsular.

"These roads are all privatized projects carried under the PFI (Privately Financed Initiatives) models. And for such road users, they have to pay a price in the form of tolls, which I believe many of us have experienced.

"However, those Federal trunk roads which are government funded are almost comparable with ours," he said.

With regards to the upgrading of the State trunk road to a four lanes carriageway from Sematan to Merapok (1,080 Km), he said at the current rate, the estimated cost was RM16 billion (approximately RM16 million/Km).

Presently, a total of 140 Km of the road have been upgraded to four lanes carriageway.

"In view of the high cost, the upgrading exercise would be carried out in phases. Proposals were put up on the priority list under the Ministry of Works Second Rolling Plan (2012-2013) under 10MP, to provide some stretches of the roads from Sibu/Bintulu/Miri and Serian/Sri Aman/Sarikei/Julau with overtaking lanes at 8 Km intervals. The estimated cost of these overtaking lanes is RM380 million for 95 numbers of overtaking lanes of 1 Km each.

"This is to reduce road accidents and to allow drivers, who are being held up by slow heavy vehicles, to overtake," he said, adding that the goal was the overtaking lanes to reduce accident.

He said with the implementation of these facilities would mean that road users were informed of the overtaking facilities provided ahead.

"Thus, road users do not have to take risks by overtaking at inappropriate locations. Since overtaking lanes are built in series, there are more chances for road users to overtake safely," he said.

Manyin also said that In conjunction with the United Nation ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 – 2020, the State government would continue to support the current road safety policy and agenda, in tandem with the Road Safety Council Malaysia, in an effort to ‘prevent and reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries’ due to road accidents.

"Due to the State’s rising population and economic activities, the emerging need for mobility had resulted in the increasing number of vehicles, road users and road networks. 

"These, in the long run, will continue to affect the number of accident cases due to risk exposures because of human factor (contributing up to 65% of the cause), road condition and environment (27%) and also vehicle condition (8%).      

"In an effort to ‘prevent and reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries’ due to road accidents, long term strategies such as the 5Es (Engineering, Enforcement, Education, Environment and Evaluation) will continue to be implemented. 

He said among the 5Es strategies, the long term, consistent and lifelong implementation of Road Safety Education (RSE) is vital to ensure the success of any road safety policy and agenda.  Such RSE programmes that had been implemented are:

(1)          Formal teaching of RSE modules under the Bahasa Malaysia subjects for one period (30 minutes) every week at all primary schools in Sarawak since 2008;

(2)          The introduction of co-curricular RSE activities in primary and secondary schools since 2008; and

(3)          National Service’s RSE advocacies for all participants at eight (8) camps in Sarawak.

He said the indoctrination of the ‘road safety culture’ among Sarawakians’ current and younger generation would be expected to produce its result when these people become the road users or upon receiving their future driving licenses. 

Manyin also said that with effect from Jan 1, 2009, rear seat belt wearing regulations had been enforced through the Rules of Motor Vehicles (Seat Belts) (Amendment 2008). It is enforced to all types of vehicles except for the following:

(a)          Vehicles registered before Jan 1, 1995;

(b)          Vehicles registered on or after Jan 1, 1995, but are not equipped with built-in anchor (rear anchorage points);

(c)          Vehicles with more than  eight seats excluding the driver; and

(d)          Goods vehicles with gross weight (BDM) of more than 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kg).

For vehicles registered on or after Jan 1, 1995 and had built-in anchor but not installed with rear seat belts, vehicle owners were given  three years to install these seat belts. The three years period ended on Dec 31, 2011.

Any driver or passenger not wearing seat belts (front or back) will be summoned amounting to RM300. Those who fail to pay the compound will be prosecuted in court where a fine not exceeding RM2,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both.

Manyin said a total number of deaths arising from road traffic accidents for Malaysia was 6,982 persons, which was equivalent to 24.93 deaths per 100,000 population or 3.4 deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles.

The total number of deaths arising from road traffic accidents for Sarawak in 2010 was 378 deaths.

This is equivalent to 15.62 deaths per 100,000 population or 2.99 deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles. By Sematong Express

Baru Bian's Chinese New Year message: It will be a year to liberate the sufferings caused by greed

BARU BIAN’S CHINESE NEW YEAR MESSAGE

The year of the Dragon will be upon us in a few hours and all our Chinese friends and relatives are looking forward with eager anticipation to what the benevolent water Dragon will bring. The dragon is the only mythical creature in the Chinese horoscope, signifying greatness, goodness and blessings. To the Chinese, Dragons represent intense celestial and terrestrial power, wisdom, and strength and are often seen as the symbol of divine protection and vigilance. The Dragon is said to be a deliverer of good fortune, a protector of the innocent and a master of authority.

It is fortuitous that 2012 will also see the start of Sarawak’s jubilee year, the year in which the 13^th General Election will be held. To the Christians, the Jubilee year is a significant and meaningful year. The Jubilee year, which is the year following the completion of seven cycles of seven years is promised as a year of great rejoicing, where there will be release, return and renewal.  In the biblical context, the slaves would be set free, debts forgiven, and land restored to its original owners, and allowed to be renewed, ie left fallow for a year.

In the context of Sarawak’s current situation, I see our Jubilee year as one in which our people will be liberated from the suffering caused by the greed and selfishness of those to whom they have looked for protection. It will be a year in which the lands taken cruelly from our native folk by these same people and their cronies will be returned to their rightful owners. It will be a year in which there will be a renewal of hope, and restoration of social justice. It will be a time when man will be taught how to live responsibly, and God will bless man with prosperity and peace.

Let us all direct our energies this year towards realizing what has been promised to us by God. The strength and wisdom of the Dragon is on the side of the righteous and the innocent. Let us emulate these characteristics as we persevere in our struggle for the common good.  The idea of a free and prosperous Sarawak is not a myth or an impossible dream; the goalpost is in sight and within reach. With concerted and consistent effort on our part, with guiding help from divine hands and with celestial forces breathing fire into our political battle, our dreams will finally become reality. What a tremendous year this Jubilee Year of the Dragon is going to be!

My family and I wish all our Chinese friends and supporters Gong Xi Fa Cai. May you enjoy Good Health, Happiness and Prosperity in abundance.

Baru Bian

State Assemblyman

N70 Ba’ Kelalan

Chairman

PKR Sarawak