Baru Bian branded Taib Mahmud as a total failure

Baru: Last year, Taib said Sarawak would be richest state by 2020, but now he said Sarawak would be richest state by 2030. Has he moved the goalposts by another 10 years?

Today’s headlines in the Sarawak Tribune proclaimed the latest fanciful edict from Abdul Taib Mahmud: Sarawak will be the ‘Richest State by 2030’. This was the subject of his speech at the Federation of Kuching and Samarahan Divisions Chinese Associations’ 2012 Chinese New Year Gathering and 33^rd anniversary dinner.

The initial thought that springs to mind is this: Has he become so desperately short of ideas that he is recycling his speeches from 1981 when he became the Chief Minister of Sarawak? This is the sort of promise a fresh-faced dewey-eyed leader would make upon assuming office, when he is full of vigour and inspiration, and driven by visions of development and progress for his state and people. That Taib Mahmud should still be spouting his empty promises 31 years after taking office is proof that he has been and is a failure as leader of the State. Let him answer these simple questions: Why is it that you have failed to achieve this status for Sarawak in the 31 years you have been Chief Minister? What exactly have you and your ministers been doing all these years aside from enriching yourselves and your families? Why should we give you and BN another 18 years when you have failed us so badly for the last 31 years? How pathetic and how offensive to us that you should have the gall to try to keep on deceiving the people whom you have let down so abysmally.

In his speech Taib called on the people to look at the success rather than the failure in the past. What success is he referring to? The most significant statistic and one that speaks volumes about Taib’s reign is this: Sarawak has the dubious distinction, nay, the humiliation and ignominy of being the state richest in natural resources but at the same time, one of the poorest states in the country. The dubious distinction for Sarawak is in having a Chief Minister who is reputed to be wealthier than the Queen of England. The shocking revelations made over the past year about the Taib regime’s wealth, businesses and properties in 25 countries around the world is an indictment of the grand corruption that has blighted this once pristine land of noble people.

As I recall, in April last year Taib made the same promise of Sarawak becoming the richest State in Malaysia when unveiling the State BN electoral manifesto, except that last year, the target year was 2020. Why has the goalpost been moved forward 10 years in the space of less than a year? Does Taib actually keep track of the poppycock he feeds to the masses? Does he actually have a plan in place or is he making up stories in his old age?

In his speech at the dinner, Taib also said that every community in the spirit of give and take can find a place in our struggle to build a better future. Many Sarawakians can attest that Taib and his family and cronies are exceptionally accomplished in the practice of  ‘taking’, amassing obscene amounts of wealth from land-grabs and awarding contracts to family-controlled companies. They have effectively robbed the people of their lands and livelihood so that the once-proud natives are reduced to struggling with poverty and hardship.

Having expressed my incredulity at his gall and pomposity, I have to agree however, with one point made by Taib Mahmud. He is absolutely spot-on in saying that Sarawak will be the richest state in Malaysia by 2030 (or even 2020) because the state has better leaders coming up in future. What he omitted to say, was that these leaders are from the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. Our leaders are people oriented, and not self-serving opportunists like many of the current BN politicians. Our leaders are motivated by altruism and not by greed. Our leaders are committed to undoing the damage done by Taib Mahmud and his ilk. Our leaders are determined to make up for years of neglect and abuse of the natives by the government. Our leaders have policies to develop and prosper the people and state of Sarawak. I fully support the call of Taib Mahmud to help these leaders so that they can come up and take the challenges to build our country together. A Pakatan Rakyat government will succeed where the BN government has failed!

As for Taib Mahmud, we have this to say to him: There is a way to move the goalpost back to 2020 for Sarawak to become the richest state - give back the wealth you and your family have been accused of plundering from the state and people and resign from your office now. Sarawakians have woken up to the bitter truth of your misrule. We have had enough.

Baru Bian

Chairman

PKR Sarawak/

State Assemblyman

N70 Ba’ Kelalan

Temporary teachers treated like dirt, says Chong Chieng Jen

Kuching (Feb 1, 2012): Sim Yian Yun and six of her colleagues were told to leave after teaching two weeks at a government school here, but they are still hanging on to their job.

The seven teachers were recruited as Guru Sambilan Harian (GSH) at the end of last year based on a circular to all headmasters and principals of government and government aided schools in Sarawak.

The circular, dated Dec 30, 2011 and issued by the State Deputy Education Director Jaidah Alek, authorised headmasters and principals to recruit GSH.

However, Sim and the six were shocked to be told that their service was no longer needed through a second circular signed by Kuching Division Education Office’s Head of School Management Unit, on Jan 18.

The second circular, however, withdrew the powers of the headmasters and principals to recruit GSH.

Sim and the six were told on Jan 18 to leave their jobs  with three days’ notice.

 “Our last teaching day was on Jan 20, but we hang on,” Sim told reporters at the Kuching DAP service centre here.

Sim said she had the permission of the school’s principal to talk to the media about their plight, on condition the name of the school be not mentioned.

“My principal is giving us his support, and that is why he is allowing us to continue teaching,” Sim, who teaches Mathematics to Form 2 classes, said.

An electronic engineer by training, Sim said if she and the six teachers were to leave, the students would suffer because the Education Department has not sent any replacement teachers to the schools.

“In a way, we are giving our voluntary service and we hope that the department would allow us to continue teaching based on the terms and conditions offered to us, in the first place,” she said.

Sim said after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from MultiMedia University, she became a part-time Mathematics teacher at a tuition centre.

She said she applied to be a GSH, and was accepted by the school’s principal.

Bandar Kuching member of parliament Chong Chieng Jen, speaking at the same press conference, said he has written a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the Education Minister, on the plight of Sim and her six colleagues.

“I am very disappointed with the flip-flop policy of the Education Ministry regarding temporary teachers,” he said.

He said the rights and welfare of temporary teachers have been gradually eroded over the years.

“Teachers who served as Guru Sambilan Harian do not have paid holidays. Basically, they are paid five teaching days,” he said.

“While the government is preaching better treatment for our workers, why are temporary teachers, especially GSHs, omitted?” he asked.

Chong, who is also the Kota Sentosa State Assemblyman, said there is no security of employment for GSHs.

“The ministry should treat them with more respect and accord them with the basic workers’ rights in country.

“It is not right for the ministry to treat them like dirt when there are replacement,” he said.

Chong said the cases involving Sim and her six colleagues were not the only ones in Sarawak.

“There are 607 GSHs whose services have been terminated and that 349 Guru Interim were sent to fill up the vacancies,” he said.

He said 258 vacancies have not been filled up.

Star may contest in five seats in the general election

Kuching (Jan 30, 2012): State Reform Party (STAR) is likely to contest in at least five seats in the coming general election, its Youth leader Kakoh Kiles said today.

He said three of the seats would be Mas Gading, Mambong and Serian, all Bidayuh majority areas, while the other two seats would be in the Iban majority areas.

“We are in the process of selecting the right candidates for all the five seats,” he said, adding that the party’s executive committee met yesterday to discuss on the election preparations and the potential seats to be contested.

“We have identified a number of potential candidates, including businessmen and professionals,” he added.

Kakoh declined to say whether he would a candidate to contest in one of the Bidayuh seats.

“All I can say is that we have people willing to come forward to be the candidates,” he added.

He said the party wanted to contest in few seats because of financial constraints.

“This is our biggest problem because we limited means to challenge the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat (PR),” he added.

Kakoh said the Sabah chapter of STAR would decide on its own on the number of seats it would want to contest.

STAR was formed by former Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications Dr Patau Rubis after he was sacked from the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) in 1996.

It has never won a seat in either the general or state elections.

STAR has never been invited to be a component party of Sarawak  Pakatan Rakyat whose members are DAP, PKR and PAS.

Baru supports suggestion to set land tribunal

Kuching (Feb 1, 2012): Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum’s suggestion for the setting up of a Native Land Tribunal in Sabah has received the support of a well known Sarawak native customary rights (NCR) land lawyer, Baru Bian.

“The suggestion by the Chief Judge fortified our views of our support for the recent call by the Bar Council for a specialised Indigenous People’s Court to be established,” Baru said today.

“We in Sarawak also want the same court to be set up, not just in Sabah,” he said.

“Whether it is called the Indigenous People’s Court or the Native Land Tribunal, the important thing is that this forum should provide an appropriate process to investigate land claims brought by the natives of the land,” he said, referring to the recent suggestion by the Chief Judge at a symposium on Sabah Native Land Rights at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).

“ As pointed out by Malanjum, there are certain limitations to having such cases heard in Civil courts, such as the requirement of strict compliance with the Evidence Act, unfamiliarity of judges with native adat and culture, and lack of judges,” he said.

He added that the proposed Tribunal or Court should comprise of qualified individuals preferably standing on par with High Court judges.

“Of utmost importance is that they must be well-versed in the adat, customs and culture of the people.

“They must be given the power to hear cases which involve non-natives, unlike the current Native Court which does not have such power.

“Their remedial power must be equivalent to the High Court’s to grant injunctions and unlimited award and damages, which again is restricted in the current Native Court.

“The composition, ambit and procedure of the proposed Native Tribunal or Indigenous People’s Court are open for debate and discussion,” Baru, who is also the Sarawak PKR chief and State Assemblyman for Ba’Kelalan, stressed.

He added what is clear is that there is a pressing need for this specialised tribunal or court given the recent calls by various parties for its establishment.

“It is our hope that the Chief Justice will heed the calls and initiate steps to carry out the proposal,” he said.

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