PKR Wanita dares Ngemah assemblyman to come to the forum

Kuching, April 13, 2012: PKR Wanita vice head Voon Shiak Ni has challenged Ngemah State Assemblyman Alexander Vincent to attend and speak at a public forum this coming Sunday.

"Since he has jumped to the defence of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Dr James Masing, we dare him to come and speak at the Who's The Boss forum," she said today.

The fourm, to be held at the Grand Continental Hotel on April 15 starting at 2.30pm, is prompted by a statement made by Masing telling the people that elected representatives were their bosses.

Masing made the statement when defending PRS Youth chief and Assistant Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture Datuk Mong Dagang for ordering the Agriculture Department and the Welfare Department to withdraw assistance to disabled person Frusis Lebi for supporting an Opposition in the April 16, 2011 state election.

Masing told the people "Jangan Lawan Towkay", referring to the elected representatives.

Reacting to Alexander's defence of Masing, Voon said Alexander was trying to say that the phrase "Jangan Lawan Towkay" was taken literally and out of context by the Opposition for publicity which he claimed simply meant "don't bite the hands that feed you".

"Our question is what difference does that make?" she asked.

She stressed that whatever is given in the form of subsidies and financial assistance is the taxpayers' money.

Voon said it is the people who pay for the salaries and allowances of the elected representatives.

She said Alexander should not try to mislead the people that the money given belongs to the elected representatives and the BN government.

"But in democracy we believe in the right to be heard and to be given a chance to explain and to justify the voters of Sarawak, and we do not mind Masing sending his wakil, Alexander, to the forum," Voon said.

She said the speakers at the forum will be a political scientist with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Professor Dr Andrew Aeria, Pelagus State Assemblyman George Lagong and Batu Lintang State Assemblyman See Chee How.

A senior lawyer and a human rights activist Ann Teo Chiang Joo will be the facilitator.

In conjunction with the forum, PKR Stampin branch will exhibit half yearly record of work and activities in Batu Lintang constituency of See and his personal assistants.

"The exhibition of work and activities is our commitment to the voters, who are our bosses," Voon said. By Sematong Express

Illogical to give laptops to the illiterate elderly, says Baru Bian

Kuching, April 13, 2012: Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian has described as illogical the distribution of 1Malaysia free laptops to illiterate grandfathers and grandmothers in rural Sarawak.

"What's the big idea of distributing the laptops when you know that they do not know how to use computers?" he asked at a press conference today.

"And the areas where these laptops are distributed do not have electricity and where there are no WiFI or Internet facilities available," the Ba'Kelalan state assemblyman said.

Baru said he had come across of instances where the laptops were given to the elderly, many of whom were illiterate and the majority of whom had no understanding at all of modern technology.

"It is a certainty that these people are going to sell the laptops or to let them gather dust in a corner of the room. At best, they will occupy a position of pride in the room, but will still be unutilised.

"So, what is the logic of giving laptops to old folk who do not know how to use them?" he asked.

"I have also been informed that a Tuai Rumah (village headman) would bring along his 1Malaysia laptop in his bag whenever he went for official meetings or attended government functions.

"When people asked him whether he knew how to open it, he just shook his head, and he would say "just to show that I have the laptop".

"This is a shocking revelation," Baru said of the Tuai Rumah given the laptop.

He said 1,800 laptops were distributed by Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk AmarAwang Tengah Ali Hasan in Ba'Kelalan recently, and most of the recipients were illiterate elderly.

"And mind you, they come from areas where there are no electricity and where there are no Internet facilities available," he said.

Baru said he had been reliably informed that the list of recipients of the laptops was screened by the Barisan Nasional party leaders, the only criteria being support for the BN component parties.

"Whether these people are actually in need of the laptops and will benefit from having one has no bearing on the fateful tick or cancellation on the list.

"And among the recipients were  a BN councillor, his wife and two children, each of them was given one. This is an example of abuse of power because each family is supposed to receive one, but the family of this particular councillor received four," Baru said.

He said the eligible family must also have a monthly income of not more than RM3,000 and must subscribe to broadband service with a minimum package of RM25 per month from any telecommunication company.

"Does anyone make the necessary inquiries as to the household income, availability of broadband service and electricity, and most importantly, whether the laptop is going to improve the lives of the recipients, and I don't mean in monetary terms by selling off the laptops.

"Over 500,000 people do not have access to electricity, let alone broadband. So, where is the accountability of those who are entrusted with the distribution of the laptops? he asked.

Baru said the distribution should be based on the need and affordability of the laptops for the population as a whole, especially on the lower income group, and not according to the population in each parliamentary constituencies.

"The inescapable conclusion is that 1Malaysia laptop giveaway is yet another example of shocking waste of the taxpayers' money by the BN government desperate to cover all bases in their vote-buying spree.

"It is a major concern for the Opposition parties that the BN government's wild spending of the taxpayers' money will have serious repercussions on the economy, which we will be left to deal when we, the Opposition, take over the government of this country.

"Of even graver concern is that our children and grandchildren will have to pay for the recklessness and irresponsibility of the BN government," Baru said.

"The real winners in this 1Malaysia laptop scam are the suppliers and the companies involved in the distribution of the computers," he said, adding that it is up to the people to make up their own conclusion as to owners of the companies. By Sematong Express.