Be careful with what you utter, Baru warns James Dawos

Kuching, March 12, 2012: PKR Sarawak chief Baru Bian has slammed Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit for insinuating that Opposition leaders cum lawyers have tricked the native landowners into going to court.

Baru said Dawos, who made the insinuation in his statement carried by the Sunday Post yesterday, had also claimed that the Opposition leaders cum lawyers had generated their income by tricking the landowners to bring their cases to court.

Baru took exception to a remark made by the MP for Mambong that the Opposition leaders cum lawyers were eyeing the legal fees, and that was how they survive.

"I know their tricks," Dawos was quoted to have said.

Baru, the state assemblyman for Ba'Kelalan, said:"As a leader of the Opposition and a lawyer who fights for the rural folks, I invite the honourable Minister to furnish the public with specific details about these tricks we have been accused of pulling.

"As he should know, it is no use making vague accusations when the accuser does not have facts to back him up, lest he ends up sounding like a hollow vessel.

"Is the honourable Minister saying that the land grabs that have been the subject of our many court cases are all ‘false information’?

"If he has the ‘real information’ I would be very pleased to hear it and I await his clarification with great anticipation.

"For his benefit, ‘real information’, means information backed by proper and relevant documentation, such as the type we produce as evidence in the conduct of our court cases," he said.

He said the deputy minister should be more prudent in his speech as he may be getting a touch of the contagious ‘foot-in-mouth’ disease from some of his equally honourable colleagues who have been in the spotlight the past week or so.

"It seems to me that by imputing improper motive to us, the honourable deputy minister is by extension casting aspersions on the wisdom and integrity of the Courts, which have been ruling in favour of the plaintiffs in many of our cases. He is treading on thin ice here – let him be duly warned.

"Again, for the benefit of the honourable deputy minister, let me say that no lawyer worth his salt would file an action against the government or indeed any party if no reasonable cause of action exists.

"To do so would be to invite derision from the Bench, ridicule from the Bar and negligence lawsuits from the clients, not to mention a poor reputation for the law firm.

"Let me also say that the rural people will not take up legal suit against the government for no good reason especially when it comes to violation of their rights.

"They have been so oppressed and cowed by the BN government over the years that they would not resort to the Courts unless they had no other recourse.

"Contrary to what the honourable deputy minister says, we do not have to seek these people out; they know where to find us, and they are coming in droves.

"In fact, on many occasions, I tell these folks from the longhouses that I am already too busy with many NCR land cases and that if possible, they should engage other lawyers, but to no avail.

"Perhaps the insightful deputy minister could honour us with the fruits of his wisdom and tell us what he thinks is the reason for this phenomenon," Baru said

On the money motive as alleged by Dawos, Baru said he need not say much except that the honourable deputy minister should take a good look at his greedy BN compatriots and their insatiable leader before accusing the Opposition.

"The unashamed rent-seeking rampage and the unrelenting raping and pillaging of the land by the ravenous BN leeches has done irreparable damage to the state and ruined innumerable lives in the rural communities.

"Just last week, we were treated to the Assistant Minister of Agriculture’s unsavoury letter demanding kickbacks for a land development scheme.

"And the revelation that his party leader and No 1 defender is his alleged partner in the kickback business is equally repugnant.

"Given the track record of the BN, any politician motivated by money would have signed up with any of their component parties, instead of choosing to join the struggle of the Opposition.

"Of course, as lawyers we survive on legal fees, but I wish to inform the honourable deputy minister that money is not everything and that many of these cases are partly taken up on a pro bono basis.

"It is obvious that the BN component parties are desperately trying to cling to power and that incumbent Ministers are falling over themselves to make an impression in the hope of being the chosen ones to contest in GE13.

"However, to parrot nonsensical statements without first engaging in a spot of cerebral activity is just showing the rakyat that they are but a bunch of drowning men grasping at straws.

"Finally, I advise Dawos to be more circumspect in what he says of the Opposition leaders of in future, for we are fully aware of our rights, unlike the natives who have been cheated and robbed by the BN politicians and their cronies.

"As our lawyers are currently occupied with the deluge of NCR land cases, we will overlook his deplorable ignorance this time.

"He should, however, take note that we will not hesitate to take legal action against him should he ever feel inclined to make similar baseless accusations again," Baru warned Dawos.

Baru Bian to take up Press Metal issue

Kuching, March 12, 2012: Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian has said that the party will take up the issue on the Press Metal Sdn Bhd’s aluminium smelter plant in Mukah following numerous complaints from the surrounding villages.

“We have heard of complaints from the people residing at the nearby places.

“We will conduct investigation, and if we find that there are basis for their complaints, we may file a court injunction to stop the plant from operating,” he told reporters after chairing the party liaison committee meeting here on Saturday.

Baru said he had raised the issue on the concerns of the people residing near the plant at the  November 2011 sitting of the State Legislative Assembly.

“I have asked for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on the plant,  and I believe the government has released the report last December,” he said, adding that he was keen to read the report on the aluminium plant.

Among the complaints that he had received were that trees and grass near the smelting plants had turned brown and died, fish had died and people were suffering from strange sicknesses.

He said he wanted to know whether these claims were true.

“If there is such a thing, then I think it is very serious where people are suffering from certain sicknesses, I think we should call for an investigation if there is any connection between the sicknesses and the smelting plant,” he added.

“We should find ways and means to find the redress, including injunction in court if there is such proof,” Baru said.

“Certainly we will go to the court if there is connection with the leakage,” Baru, who is a well-known native customary rights (NCR) land lawyer, said.

He said if he was not happy with the EIA Report, Sarawak PKR might consider assigning independent experts to conduct the EIA.

Baru, who is also the state assemblyman for Ba’Kelalan, said the DAP state assemblyman for Kidurong,  Chiew Chiu Sing, had also raised the issue at the State Legislative Assembly sitting.

Press Metal, the first ever aluminium-smelting plant in Malaysia, started operation in 2009, with an initial production of 100,000 metric tonnes.

When in full operation, the plant is capable of producing 300,000 metric tonnes per annum .

SUPP Sibu branch is rude, arrogant

I can't help but describe the SUPP Sibu branch leaders as very rude and unbecoming by naming Vincent Lau Lee Ming as the SUPP-BN candidate for Sibu parliamentary without consulting the party first and Chief Minister and State BN chairman Taib Mahmud.

They think that they are bigger than the party and State BN by announcing Lau as the candidate first?

They did the same when they named Robert Lau Hui Yew in the 2010 by-election following the death of Robert Lau Hoi Chew, catching party president Dr George Chan by surprise.

They insisted that Hui Yew was a winnable candidate, but was soundly beaten by Sarawak DAP boss Wong Ho Leng.

If not because of the postal votes, Wong would have won by over 2000 votes, despite the fact that Prime Minister Najib and his deput, Muhyiddin Yassin and Chief Minister Taib Mahmud helped in the campaign.

Millions was literally promised to the Sibu voters during the campign, but the people, especially the Chinese, were smarter.

Hui Yew gained most of his votes from the gullible Iban voters, despite the fact that they were the most depressed and suppressed group.

The DAP also gained substantially in the Malay/Melanau areas. In fact, the DAP actually won in two of the biggest Malay/Melanau polling districts.

============================================================================


SUPP Sibu branch yesterday unanimously recommended Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming and Lanang MP Datuk Tiong Thai King to represent BN in the 13th general election (GE).
Its chairman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said both Lau and Tiong were winnable candidates, and both even enjoyed great support from the Bumiputera community.
“We are here to recommend two candidates for the forthcoming GE. For Lanang is Datuk Tiong Thai King. He is to defend this seat because he is the incumbent.
“For Sibu parliamentary seat (which is now with the opposition), we recommend Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming to be the candidate to win back the seat for BN,” Wong told a press conference at SUPP Sibu branch office yesterday.
Wong, who is also Second Minister of Finance and Minister of Local Government and Community Development, added that the party had to pick winnable candidates.
“It is a unanimous decision, even full support from the Bumiputera community.”
Asked why Lau was recommended for the candidacy, he replied: “Lau is the person who can win.”
Asked when the recommendation would be forwarded to the BN, he said this would be done as soon as possible.
Earlier, a vice chairman of the branch, Daniel Ngieng, said they were confident of defending Lanang and wrest Sibu from the DAP.
“This afternoon (yesterday), SUPP Sibu branch had a meeting, represented by all committee members, including women and youth sections. We unanimously resolved to recommend Datuk Tiong Thai King and Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming to represent BN in the coming GE.
“We all feel that the coming GE for SUPP Sibu and SUPP as a whole is a very crucial challenge.
“As such, we have taken great pains to ensure that the election (preparatory) work should be done very conscientiously. We also took great pains to discuss, resolve, and recomment Tiong Thai King and Temenggong Lau to represent BN-SUPP in the two parliamentary constituencies,” Ngieng said.
Meanwhile, to a question, Wong admitted that a Temenggong could not participate in active politics, so Lau has to give up the post.
“He has to resign if he is chosen as a candidate (by the top BN leadership).”
Sibu used to be a BN stronghold. In the 12th general election in March 2008, Datuk Robert Lau won it for BN-SUPP, but he passed away on April 9, 2010, due to an illness. He was then holding the post of Deputy Minister of Transport.
In the ensuing by-election, BN-SUPP fielded councillor Robert Lau Hui Yew, but he lost to state DAP chairman Richard Wong Ho Leng by a slim 398 votes. Ho Leng garnered 18,845 votes while Hui Yew polled 18,447 votes. Independent candidate Narawi Haron only managed to get 232 votes, and thus lost his deposit.
In the last general election, Tiong (BN-SUPP) polled 19,476 votes against Wong Kee Woan (DAP) 14,612.

Time for the "mute" BN MPs from Sarawak to speak up on native issue

Kuching, March 11, 2012: Native fathers who are married to Chinese mothers in Sarawak must register their strongest protests at the rigid interpretation of the Federal Constitution by local public universities when accepting students, based on the quota system, to take up their programmes.

While Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) is being "honest" in making public its biased administrative policy, the rest do not.

Under its Senarai Program: UiTM 2012, the university lists many courses for the students to take - from foundation, to diploma, bachelor, master and PhD levels.

But the biggest stumbling block for Sarawak students is the constitutional requirements that they must fulfil before they can be accepted to take any of the courses.

Uitm will rely solely on the Federal Constitution before accepting the students to take up its programmes.

The students must fulfil three requirements:

(a) that they are Malaysian citizens
(b) that they must meet the status of bumiputera
(c) fulfilling the minium educational requirements for each progarmme.

While the inteprerations for the "bumiputera status" for Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia are very clear, that of Sarawak is rather complicated.

UiTM says it relies on 161A (6) of the Federal Constitution in classification the native status of the students from Sarawak.

Article 161A (6) states that in relation to Sarawak, a person who is a citizen and either belongs to one of the races as specified in Clause 7 as indigenous to the State or of mixed blood deriving exclusively from those races.

Clause 7 lists the natives of Sarawak as Bukittans, Bisayahs, Dusuns, Sea Dayaks (Ibans), Land Dayaks (Bidayuhs), Kadayans, Kayan, Kenyah, Penans, Lugats, Lisums, Malays, Melanaus, Muruts, Sians, Tagals, Tabuns and Ukits.

While the Federal government "does not recognise" the offsprings of native father-Chinese mothers as natives, the State Government, however, does.

The offsprings of native-father and Chinese mothers are enjoying the privileges accorded to the natives in Sarawak.

There are hundreds of thousands of offsprings of mixed marriages in Sarawak and when their numbers are translated into voters, they can be very formidable in determining the fate of Sarawak politicians.

It is time for these "mute" members of parliament, especially from the BN, to take up the issues in Parliament which is currently in session now.

Speak up, don't just warm your seats. Your performance is judged by your action in and out parliament. Some of you are also the offsprings of mixed marriages.
 Takkan you tidak ambil peduli, and pretend nothing is happening.

ends

Mawan says the return of the Gang of Five is possible

Kuching, March 11, 2012: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president Tan Sri William Mawan said he did not rule out the possibility that the five expelled senior members would return to the party’s fold, though not in the immediate future.

“Anything is possible,” he said when asked to comment on Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s hope for the “Gang of Five” to reconcile with SPDP’s leadership.

“I believe everything is not a complete impossibility as SPDP is a very moderate and reasonable party,” Mawan, who is also the Minister of Social Development, said after chairing the party’s supreme council meeting yesterday.

The five – Assistant Minister of Public Utilities Datuk Sylvester Entrie Muran, Assistant Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Peter Nansian, Assistant Minister of Early Childhood Education Rosey Yunus, Batu Danau State Assemblyman Paulus Gumbang and Mas Gading Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe – were expelled from the party last year on grounds of bringing the party into disrepute.

Taib, who is also the State Barisan Nasional chairman, had said tha the five should be given time to reconcile.

He had said that SPDP would have much to lose and without the five elected representatives, the party was not in a good position.

Mawan agreed with Taib’s analysis of the situation in SPDP and the positions of the five.

He said it was inevitable that a crisis would happen in a party where members would leave or be expelled, but later on they would return to the fold.

“Things happen here and there….gone today, but comes again tomorrow.

“Therefore, we are not ruling out, for political purpose, for us to reconcile with each other,” he said, adding that the suggestion by Taib was “reasonable”.

“We in SPDP have the responsibilities for the overall well-being of the Barisan Nasional, but, at the same time, in working towards reconciliation, we have to look at the position from our party’s angle.

“We have to be firm at certain point in time so to avoid the party from being ripped apart, not because of personal reasons or that we are trying to demonise each other, but for the interest of the party and the BN,” he said.

He said the reconciliation process should not be expedited, but should be allowed time to take place.

“But we must be walking towards it, and not away from it, and if we try to use the short-cut in finding solutions, then we will be running into major problems,” he said, adding:”If we use the short-cut, it is like jumping from the frying pan to the fire.”

He said that the views and opinions of the party members must be sought before reconciliation could take place.

Mawan said he had spoken to the five before they were expelled from the party, even though they had expressed their loss of confidence in his leadership.

“It is up to them whether they want to reconcile,” he said.

On reports that the Gang of Five would form a new political party, Mawan said he had no objection to it as it was their right.

“It is up to the Registrar of Societies to register their party, but I will strongly oppose if they want their party to join the Barisan Nasional.

“Any admission of a new party to the BN’s fold must be through consensus,” he said.

Ends