Baru Bian blames Project IC for the demographic problems in Sabah

PRESS STATEMENT 6 MARCH 2013

THE INVASION OF SABAH

I was saddened to hear about the death of 8 members of the police force involved in the Lahad Datu invasion and Semporna standoff and I offer my condolences to their families. We know that for members of the armed forces, their jobs put their lives at risk, but still, when lives are taken so brutally, it is painful news to hear. We are humbled and grateful that there are people willing to put their lives on the line for the safety and security of our country. Sadly, at times, some are called upon for the ultimate sacrifice.

For the BN government to accuse Anwar Ibrahim of having a hand in the invasion of Lahad Datu is beyond belief and comprehension. It appears to be the nature of UMNO and the BN to blame others when things go wrong, their favourite target being Anwar Ibrahim. They are quick to order investigations into the slightest allegation involving the opposition but when faced with accusations against themselves, such as the allegations by Deepak and Bala, we get long deafening silences from them.

The events of the past few weeks have given Malaysians much to ponder on, and even more to feel gravely alarmed about. From the various news reports, it appears that the intruders arrived between 3-11 February in Lahad Datu and that they received help from their brethren who live there. There are around 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah and according to the Philippine Star, there are more than 8,500 - mostly Tausugs (Sulu people) - in Sabah whom MNLF political chief Gapul Hajiru claims are potential supporters of the Sultanate of Sulu. It is highly possible that these people were the beneficiaries of Mahathir’s Project IC and have been living in Sabah for many years.

The initial soft approach taken by the government and their attempts to downplay the seriousness of the situation raises questions that need to be answered. How did these people manage to land in such great numbers undetected by our sophisticated and expensive armory and weaponry? Why did the Home Minister say they were ‘neither militants nor terrorists’ when they were clearly armed and had planned and carried out their operation with precision and without detection by our patrols and armed forces? People were given a false sense of security when in fact, our national security was being compromised. Why were the police sent in instead of the armed forces? The government finally got their act together and decided to send in the army after we had lost 8 precious lives, lives that could have been spared if our leaders had the sense to do what was necessary at the beginning.

Perhaps the authorities were reluctant to take firm action because of the possibility of a backlash from the illegal IC community on Sabah. That the situation developed in this manner is due largely to the meddling in the demographics of Sabah by the UMNO government of Dr Mahathir. Without the ‘Project IC’ illegal immigrants in Sabah, these invaders would not have found it so easy to infiltrate and blend into the local population, and they certainly would not have ready sympathizers willing to help them. This is indeed a case of  ‘Your sins will find you out’ for Dr Mahathir. Unfortunately, the people of Sabah are the ones paying for his sins. Dr Mahathir’s unhelpful comments about the handling of the invasion lead many to believe that he is still calling the shots in this country and that Najib Razak is a mere administrator instead of a leader.

The operation in Sabah yesterday was labeled a success by the IGP who declared that they had achieved their objective. However, there was no information on bodycount and arrests – how can the public be assured that the operation was a success in the absence of evidence to the effect? We want to know whether all 234 invaders have been killed or captured. Hours later, it was reported that the air strikes had missed the forces of the invaders. Added to that, it was reported in the Philippines press that Habib Hashim Mudjahab, chair of the MNLF’s Islamic Council Committee, had said that thousands of Tausags were coming to the aid of their beleaguered comrades here and that the reinforcements ‘sailed in small numbers so they can easily penetrate Sabah unnoticed.’ He also said ‘We can easily go to Sabah and blend with the people there.’ That statement really hits home. I am certain that in the 3 weeks during which the government was carrying on their soft negotiations, the intruders had fanned out into the villagers and melded into the local population.

The problem in Sabah is far from over and we would be very unwise to be lulled into a false sense of security. These men are still out there and our armed forces will have a difficult time flushing them out. The years of ineptness, incompetence and deceit of the BN government are now coming back to haunt us. Further, it will require a large security force to contain and confront these invaders. Their known and displayed ability to indulge in non-conventional warfare and evident local support will pose serious challenges to our security forces. In counter insurgency/ guerilla warfare a force ratio of 10:1 is ideally required and that will involve huge expenditure of resources to counter even a small force. The operation is likely to also take time if the invaders meld into the population, as they have doubtless done so.

Sabah being a close neighbour of Sarawak, it is natural that Sarawakians are concerned that the crisis should be resolved quickly. That the claim of the Sulus now extends to Sarawak has alarmed the people of Sarawak. From the handing of the situation in Sabah, the people have no confidence in the government’s capability to protect our sovereign rights. Our borders are long and unprotected for long stretches and it is no secret that to cross over is very easy. To my mind, if the Federation of Malaysia is unable to effectively provide the protection promised to Sabah and Sarawak, then the answer lies locally. It is at times like these that we remember with pride the Sarawak Rangers, now part of the Royal Ranger Regiment with its Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban motto.  The Sarawak Rangers earned a formidable reputation during the communist insurgency and taught the British SAS jungle tracking in the 1950s and 1960s. Sarawakians would feel more at ease if this regiment is dispatched to Sabah and Sarawak to help end the invasion and ensure our security.  This would go a long way towards reassuring the people of their safety. Ultimately, we need to consider reviving our Sarawak Rangers to guard our beloved Sarawak.

In the meantime, we express our support for the members of the armed forces and police who are on duty out in the field to safeguard our people and country. We pray that there will be no further loss of lives.

Baru Bian

ADUN N70 Ba’ Kelalan/

Chairman, PKR Sarawak

BMF wants hydropower association to cancel dam conference in Sarawak

International Hydropower Association urged to cancel Sarawak conference over greenwashing concerns
Industry group warned over reputational risks due to Malaysian dam scheme's corruption, lack of sustainability
 
(LONDON, UK) The International Hydropower Association (IHA), an industry group that claims to advocate the sustainable use of hydropower, has been urged to cancel its annual conference planned to be held in Kuching, Malaysia, in May 2013. The conference is hosted by Sarawak Energy, a public company controlled by Abdul Taib Mahmud („Taib“), the controversial Chief Minister of the Malaysian state of Sarawak.
 
In a letter to the IHA, the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) called on the lobby group to call off the Kuching conference and shift it to a new location. „Sarawak Energy is currently involved in one of Asia’s largest dam-building schemes, in which none of the relevant international standards are being applied“, the Bruno Manser Fund wrote.
 
The planned twelve new dams would flood large tracts of the Borneo rainforest, one of the most biodiverse habitats in the world. Tens of thousands of Sarawak natives are facing forced resettlement without being properly consulted on the impact of the dams scheme on their livelihood.
 
„There is a real and high danger that your association will be abused to greenwash the  Sarawak government’s dam plans“, the Bruno Manser Fund wrote to the IHA. „These plans are facing fierce local opposition and will mainly benefit companies linked to Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.“
 
The Bakun mega dam, which has been constructed in Sarawak during Taib’s tenure, has been labelled by Transparency International a ‚monument of corruption’ and there are no indications that Taib’s latest dam plans will not be linked to massive corruption.
 
Earlier this week, lawmakers in Switzerland announced they would push for a freeze of Taib assets suspected to be held by Swiss banks. In a criminal complaint lodged with Switzerland’s Attorney General, Swiss MP Carlo Sommaruga called for the Taib family to be declared a criminal organization. The Taib family’s assets, estimated at USD 20 billion, are largely the fruit of corruption and abuse of public office.
 
„We believe that the choice of Kuching as venue of the next IHA conference would be extremely damaging to the IHA’s reputation“, the Bruno Manser Fund wrote to the industry group. The International Hydropower Association has not replied yet to the letter, which it received last month.
 
- Ends -
 

 
Please contact us for more information:
 
Bruno Manser Fund
Socinstrasse 37
4051 Basel, Switzerland
Tel. +41 61 261 94 74
www.bmf.ch, www.stop-timber-corruption.org
 

Muhyiddin is easily the worst Education Minister, charges Chee How

KUCHING , Dec 28, 2012: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin  has been branded as easily the worst performing Education Minister since the formation of Malaysia in 1963 by Sarawak PKR vice head See Chee How today.

“Should Datuk Seri Najib Razak step down as Prime Minister after the upcoming general election in the event that the Barisan Nasional wins with a slim majority, calls within Umno will be heard for him to step down and Muhyiddin, being the Deputy Prime Minister, will take over.

“With this kind guy taking over as Prime Minister, what kind of future for the country will be like? There will be lack of direction, flip-flops and inconsistent policies,” See said at a press conference.

 He cited the Education Ministry, under Muhyiddin, as being inconsistent in the formulation and implementation of the education policies, regulations, guidelines and instructions.

“The inconsistency has affected thousands of schools in Sarawak which have opted to continue the teaching of Mathematics and Science subjects in English,” See, who is also the State Assemblyman, said.

“These schools are in a quandary and the students are in a lurch, “ he added.

“With a few more days to the opening of the new school year, it is discovered that schools in Sarawak have not received their English textbooks and workbooks, but only the Bahasa Malaysia versions were distributed to all students.

“This is despite the fact that these schools have filled in and submitted a designated form distributed by the Education Department asking them to decide and indicate whether their primary school students choose to continue to use English or Bahasa Malaysia or both,” he said.

He added that these schools have expressly opted for English Language for their students now, from Standard 4 to Standard 6.

See said it was Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is the Deputy Prime Minister, who had revealed last year that 5 % from the total classes in 7,495 primary schools and 9 % out of 2,192 secondary schools chose to fully use English for Mathematics and Science.

“He is fully aware of the needs and extent of schools requiring textbooks and workbooks in English for the batch of students still under PPSMI policy, yet these textbooks and workbooks are not being printed and distributed,” he said.

See said the schools and parents have expressed doubtful whether these textbooks and workbooks are going to be distributed.

“There are even doubts whether the Education Department has the syllabus and contents of the textbooks and workbooks prepared and whether the department is printing them,” he said.

He said the non-printing of these books will add substantial workload and pressure on the teachers as they have to translate the syllabus and contents, according to their own understanding and perception of the Bahasa Malaysia texts.

He said that a lot of time and efforts will be saved if the ministry have a proper planning in the formulation and implementation policies and plans.

“I call upon the Education Ministry to immediately post the syllabus and contents of the English textbooks and workbooks on the Internet or on the Education Ministry and Education Department’s websites to allow schools and teachers to download and print them, for their teaching of Mathematics and Science in English,” he said.

See also reminded the Education Ministry and Muhyiddin that English, apart from Bahasa Malaysia, is still the official language in Sarawak.

“The special rights to use English is cherished and dear to Sarawakians,”  he added.

Bruno Manser Fund's next target is to stop the Annual Congress of the International Hydropower Association in Sarawak next year

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,

As an eventful year is coming to its end, the BMF team would like to thank you for your interest in our work and your invaluable support.

In cooperation with our valued partners in Malaysia and from around the world, the Bruno Manser Fund's campaigns and projects have had considerable success. In particular, we are happy to see that the Taib government's plans for twelve new dams in Sarawak are increasingly being challenged by local opinion leaders and by the international community. The withdrawal of Rio Tinto and Hydro Tasmania from Taib's selfish plans is proof that international investors can be forced to withdraw from projects that are neither transparent, necessary nor sustainable. In the new year, we will increase public pressure on the remaining foreign players, particularly Sarawak Energy's Norwegian CEO, Torstein Sjøtveit, and the International Hydropower Association that is planning to hold its annual 2013 congress in Kuching. - If you haven't written to Mr. Sjøtveit yet, there is still time to do it (under tds@sarawakenergy.com). It is a sign of his nervousness that he personally rebuts all critical e-mails sent to him while refusing to acknowledge that he is just Taib's highly-paid helper.

In Switzerland, our criminal complaint against UBS over the laundering of over 90 million USD of timber corruption funds from Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman has prompted the Attorney General to open a crimnial investigation, which is currently under way. We have no doubt that UBS will be heavily fined and hope that the case will cause them to overhaul their due diligence procedures for customers form the timber and plantation sector.

We are also proud that the last year has seen improvements for our Penan partners at the community level which we are happy to continue supporting. We would like to wish you all the best and salute you with a picture message from Long Benali, a community that has successfully kept Samling's loggers at bay and sends regards from their well-preserved primary rainforests across the world.

We wish you wholeheartedly a Merry Christmas, a happy holiday season and all the best for the New Year.

Your BMF team

Rejoice, the rays of light have penetrated through the darkness in Sarawak, says Baru Bian in his Christmas message

BARU BIAN’S CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR MESSAGE 2012

HOPE

The prophets of old prophesied the birth of Jesus Christ years before it came to pass. It came when the nation of Israel was going through difficult times spiritually, socially and politically. Therefore, such prophecy was of great comfort to the people of Israel then, as it gave them hope that one day things would change through the coming of a “Light” giving hope to those living in darkness.

From reading the gospel of John we learn that Jesus is that “Light”, when he said: “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” [John 12: 46]. The Bible talks about a man we all know now as John the Baptist who came as a witness to the coming of the Light, when the Bible said: “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” [John 1:6-9].

This Christmas season, I am compelled to share with you, my friends, a message of hope akin to the time and era when the prophecy of the birth of Jesus the Messiah was first uttered.

The people of Sarawak and Malaysia have, for the past decades, been subject to oppression by political forces in ways both subtle and harsh. The judicial crisis in 1988 paved the way for suppression and control of our liberties and our well-being in every way imaginable, affecting us in all aspects of our lives – our civil liberties, freedom of association and beliefs, our economic opportunities and social interactions.

We have embarrassingly acquired the reputation of being the top country for corruption according to Transparency International, and the 3rd in the world for illicit capital flight according to Global Financial Integrity.

In Sarawak, the people have progressed little, having been governed by those who have no understanding of the plight of those who are sidelined and marginalized. Numerous Sarawakians are mired in poverty, many have lost their lands and livelihood to timber companies, plantation tycoons, dam builders and their political masters. A large proportion of the rural population have poor access to basic amenities such as water and electricity, healthcare and education, and the benefits of development. Sarawak, in spite of being rich in resources has the ignominy of being the 2nd poorest state in the country.

Poor our people may be in material wealth, but we are rich in hope and faith. With hearts filled with hope in the promise of better times to come, we have been praying faithfully that we may be led out of the darkness and the tyranny of corruption, oppression and suppression.

Sarawak entered her Jubilee year on 16 September 2012. For the Christians in Sarawak, this Jubilee year holds great significance, for the Jubilee addresses land and property rights. To the indigenous people of Sarawak, the land is their life. Many lives have been disrupted and destroyed with each timber licence issued, each plantation established and each dam built.

This Jubilee year, we look for the fulfillment of the promise of release and restoration, of emancipation and social justice. Equality for those who are disenfranchised and marginalised will see God’s Providence for all, so the goods of the land are the common property of the people.

In the face of the many challenges that confront us, we have reason to rejoice, for rays of light have penetrated through the darkness. We have seen wrongdoings of the ruling elite exposed by the work of friends such as Radio Free Sarawak and various NGOs. We have witnessed the awakening of the people to the abuses and excesses of those who purport to care for them. We have walked with those who have dared to stand up for their rights against the government that would bully them.

Today, I rejoice with my Christian brothers and sisters as we celebrate this holy day. I am filled with a quiet joy and confident anticipation of the triumph to come in the New Year. The breakthrough promised by God is imminent; God is faithful to those who believe.  

I wish all Sarawakians and all our friends throughout Malaysia and around the world a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Baru Bian

State Assemblyman

N70 Ba’ Kelalan/

Chairman, PKR Sarawak