Manufacturer of Australian product makes false accusation against Sarawak, says Masing

 By Jonathan Jong

KUCHING, May 12, 2015 -A supermarket here has been asked not to sell a floor cleaner liquid imported from Australia because its manufacturer was making false accusation against the oil palm industry and Sarawak.

Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing said "Wooden Floor Cleaner" contains false information against oil palm industry and the manufacturer of the product have falsely claimed that Sarawak has destroyed its orangutan sanctuaries for oil palm plantation.

Deforestation is severe in Borneo, says WWF

KOTA KINABALU, May 9, 2015 -   According to the World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) recent 2015 Living Forests Report, deforestation is severe in Borneo, one of the 11 places in the world projected to have the most deforestation in the next 15 years. 

The report projected that in a no-intervention scenario, up to 170 million ha of forests could be lost between 2010 and 2030 in the Amazon, the Atlantic Forest and Gran Chaco, Borneo, the Cerrado, Choco-Darien, the Congo Basin, East Africa, Eastern Australia, Greater Mekong, New Guinea and Sumatra.

WWF-Malaysia’s Chief Executive Officer  Dionysius Sharma announced that tangible actions are being taken to address deforestation, particularly in Sarawak and Sabah. He said that both state governments have been very cooperative and supportive towards these initiatives which generated positive results in the recent years.

Sidi: Dayak NGOs must keep up the pressure on the government until it recognises our rights

By Doris Theresa Yoong

KUCHING, May 9, 2015  - Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) president Sidi Munan said Dayak NGOs must keep up the pressure on the State government until it recognises the natives as the indigenous people as having rights over lands, territories, and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied and acquired.

"There will be no end to the quest until the State government gives legal recognition and protection to these lands, these territories, these resources which in Iban are called pemakai menoa and pulau galau as they have done to temuda.

"There will be no end to the exercise until such recognition is concluded with due respect to the customs, traditions and land tenure system of the natives landowners concerned," he said when closing a NCR Land Forum here today.

Torstein receives "Asia CEO of the Year Award" in Singapore

KUCHING, May 8, 2015 -  Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) adds more international recognitions to its list of accolades, with the latest two awards received  at the Power & Electricity World Asia 2015 Conference held in Singapore last Wednesday. 

 Its chief executive officer Datuk Torstein Dale Sjotveit was awarded the  “Asia CEO of the Year”  and SEB, the “Utility of the Year 2015”.

Torstein, who was appointed CEO in late 2009, received the awards at a ceremony held in conjunction with the conference. 

The Penans bring their land case to Geneva Press Club

KUCHING, May 7, 2015 - A Penan delegation from Sarawak Wednesday night presented their case at the Geneva Press Club, a renowned public space very close to the United Nations' Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Bilong Oyoi, headman of the Penan community of Long Sait, Upper Baram,  called on the international community to stand up for the defence of the rainforests and to support the Penan Peace Park project, a community-managed biosphere in the Heart of Borneo.