With effect from today, the post of Chief Minister is now known as Premier of Sarawak

 By Simon Peter

KUCHING, March 1, 2022 - Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg is now known as  Premier of Sarawak  in place of Chief Minister following the passage of an amendment to the State Constitution in the State Legislative Assembly on February 15 this year.

Picture: Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg is Premier of Sarawak, effective today

State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion said the amendment is effective from today, March 1, 2022. “The Chief Minister of Sarawak after the date of coming into force of the amendment will be addressed in English as the “Premier of Sarawak" and in Bahasa Malaysia as “Premier Sarawak”,” he said in a statement.

He said the Office of the Chief Minister will be referred to in English as the "Office of the Premier of Sarawak” and in Bahasa Malaysia as “Pejabat Premier Sarawak”.

“In this connection, Deputy Chief Minister (Timbalan Ketua Menteri) will be referred to as Deputy Premier (Timbalan Premier) and Assistant Minister (Menteri Muda) as Deputy Minister (Timbalan Menteri) with effect from the same date,” he said.

When tabling the Sarawak Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Sri Karim Rahman Hamzah in the State Assembly said the restyling of the post of head of Sarawak government from “Chief Minister” to “Premier”  was to give full effect to the amendment of the Federal Constitution.

He added the recent amendments to the Federal Constitution restores the spirit originally  contemplated by the parties to the Malaysia Agreement, 1963 (MA63) and that is, when Sarawak agreed to be a party in the formation of Malaysia, it was intended  that Sarawak retain its status as one of the three regions that formed the new Federation of Malaysia.  

He said this put Sarawak as one of the three regions and is to be regarded not with the  same status as the other component States in the Federation of Malaya.

He added the  special status of Sarawak needs to be reflected in the manner different from other  States in the Federation.

“As practised in other Commonwealth regions assuming similar set up with  Malaysia including Australia and Canada, the Head of the Federation is styled as  Prime Minister and Heads of Regions constituting the Federation is styled as  Premier while the other sub-regions or states are headed by Chief Ministers.

“Therefore, to correctly reflect the status of Sarawak as different from the other  States in the Federation, it is proposed that the designation and style of Chief  Minister be re-styled to Premier,” Karim said.

He said the amendment also to change the designation of “Assistant Minister” to  “Deputy Minister” .

“In view of the responsibilities that they hold  and exercise, it is therefore necessary to reflect the proper designation and style  from that of “Assistant Minister” to “Deputy Minister”,” said.

Dr Sim tested positive for Covid-19, now undergoing self-isolation for seven days

 KUCHING, March 1, 2022 - Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian today expressed shock that he is tested positive for Covid-19, although it is without displaying any symptom.

Picture: Datuk Sri Dr Sim says shock as he has always been following SOPs

He said the positive result came as a shock to him as he has daily self testing, always wearing double masks, washing hands and following standard operating procedures (SOPs).

“ It shows how infectious and how hard to fight Covid-19 Omicron surge,” he said on his Facebook.

“As part of living with the virus, I have self reported through MySejahtera, will self isolate and self monitor for seven days as per latest Ministry of Health (MoH) SOPs,” he added.

He tendered his apologies  to those who came into contacts with him over the last few days.  

“Pls follow the latest MOH SOP on close contact. Let’s pray for my speedy recovery together,” Dr Sim, who is also the Public Health, Local Government and Housing Minister, said.

He said he has PCR test before going on an official overseas trip, and then tested positive after coming back.

“(It) looks like I beat most of the people for "4th dose",” he added.

He said he has no symptoms and his daily morning self testing for the last few days has been negative.  

 

Taib re-appointed as Sarawak's Governor for the third term

 KUCHING, February 28, 2022 - Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud was today re-appointed as Sarawak Governor by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong  Al Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al Mustafa Billah Shah for a third term, beginning March 1.

Picture: Tun Taib receiving his instrument of appointment from the King at Astana Negara

The former chief minister received the instrument of appointment at the Dewan Sri Setia Istana Negara.

Prime Minister,Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and Minister in attendance Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail were among those present to witness the handing over ceremony.

Taib  returned to the State capital this evening.

He will take his oath of office during the swearing in ceremony at the State Legislative assembly tomorrow afternoon.

He was appointed as the seventh Governor post-Malaysia in March 2014, replacing Tun Abang Salahuddin Abang Barieng, after stepping down as fourth chief minister, the post he had held since March 1981, on February 12, 2014.

His former brother-in-law, Tan Sri Adenan Satem, succeeded him as Premier with effect from March 1, 2014.

At the same time, he received the official credentials as the 7th Sarawak Head of State from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara on February 28, 2014 and officially took the oath of office on the following day.

Taib has nine siblings namely Ibrahim, Onn, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Arip, Mohammad Tufail, Aisah Zainab, Roziah, Faridah Hanon and Zaleha.

 Taib studied at at Andi Malay School and later St Joseph's Primary School in Miri.

He later won a Shell scholarship to study at St. Joseph's Secondary School in Kuching with the help of his uncle, aTun Abdul Rahman Yaakub who was also a Probationary Native Officer in Miri.

In 1958, his excellent performance in the Higher School Certificate (HSC) examination earned him a Colombo Plan scholarship, allowing him to further his studies at the University of Adelaide in South Australia.

He graduated with Bachelor of Laws from the university in 1960.

After graduation, he was appointed as an associate to Justice Sir Herbert Mayo of the Supreme Court of South Australia.

 On returning to Sarawak, Taib worked as a Crown Counsel from 1962 to 1963. He was then persuaded by his uncle to take part in the formation of Barisan Ra'ayat Jati Sarawak (BARJASA) party. Taib resigned as the Crown Counsel and assumed the post of vice-chairman of BARJASA in 1963.

In the 1963 local council elections, Taib's BARJASA party won only 44 out of 429 seats.

Taib's uncle was defeated in the election.

Sarawak National Party (SNAP) became a majority party with Tan Sri Stephen Kalong Ningkan as the state's first chief minister. However, Taib was able to join the Council Negri of Sarawak on July 22,1963, where he was appointed state minister for Communication and Works from 1963 to 1966 although Taib did not contest in the election.

Although Taib was a minister in the Sarawak cabinet with a superior education background, he was frustrated when his BARJASA party was consulted last after expatriate, SNAP party, and Sarawak Chinese Association (SCA) were consulted in a cabinet decision making.

Taib's anger towards Ningkan's leadership intensified in 1965 when Ningkan decided to pass a land bill which would allow Chinese to purchase native land.

BARJASA party later formed an alliance with Parti Negara Sarawak (PANAS), and Parti Pesaka Sarawak (PESAKA) in order to challenge Ningkan.

Taib and another BARJASA leader Awang Hipni was expelled from Sarawak cabinet by Ningkan.

In June 1966, Taib and his BARJASA partner was re-accepted into the cabinet in order to end the ruling coalition crisis.

However, the crisis between SNAP and BARJASA worsened into a constitutional crisis and Ningkan was removed as chief minister in 1966.

Taib later became Minister of Development and Forestry in 1967 under the leadership of new Sarawak chief minister Tawi Sli.

On several occasions, Taib acted as Chief Minister. Taib later fall out with Tawi Sli.

Taib decided to shift his focus onto the Malaysian federal cabinet.

Taib was appointed Federal Assistant Minister for Commerce and Industry from 1968 until 1970.

He represented Parti Bumiputera Sarawak, which was a component party of Sarawak Alliance, in 1969 Malaysian general election.

 During the 1970 parliamentary election for Sarawak, he was elected as the member of Malaysian parliament for Kota Samarahan seat.

He was later appointed to numerous portfolios including Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (1970–1972) and Natural Resources Minister (1972–1974).

In 1973, Taib was appointed deputy president of the newly formed PBB before subsequently becoming the president of the party.

Abdul Rahman Ya'kub was Taib's political mentor for 20 years.

In 1980, Taib was appointed as federal territory minister which would be the Taib's last portfolio before he returned to Sarawak.

Taib stepped down from federal cabinet post on March 9, 1981.

In order to let Taib to become an elected representative in Sarawak state assembly, a PBB assembly woman vacated the Sebandi (now Asajaya) seat and a by-election was held in March 1981.

Taib won the seat unopposed. He was later appointed as Sarawak's Land and Mines Minister.

On March 26, 1981, Abdul Rahman, who was the chief minister of Sarawak at that time, announced his retirement from politics by vacating his state constituency of Paloh and PBB presidency.

However, the Malaysian federal government favoured the appointment of Tan Sri Sulaiman Daud as the next chief minister because Taib was away from Sarawak for 13 years.

Abdul Rahman was able to convince the federal leaders to appoint Taib as chief minister because Sulaiman was much more junior than Taib.

Taib retained entire cabinet line-up of his uncle except for Celestine Ujang who would vacate his ministerial post to become speaker in the Sarawak state assembly.

Taib held the Sebandi seat until 1987, when he was elected as state assemblyman for the Asajaya constituency.

In 2001 state election, he decided to contest in Balingian.

Sarawak human rights activist calls for overhaul of administration of citizenship approval

 KUCHING, February 8, 2022 - Human rights activist Peter John Jaban, who has been advocating statelessness issues for decades,  is calling once again for an overhaul of the administration of citizenship approval in Sarawak following a case of Jeanny Lianna Ating, published in a local daily recently.

Peter, a member of the Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF), echoes the statement by Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Datuk Sri Fatimah Abdullah that detailed how the long wait for citizenship approval has caused great suffering for applicants.

He said he believes that, with Sarawak recently regaining its original status in the federation, it is high time for the state to demand full autonomy over its administrative requirements for citizenship to better reflect the local context and to put an end to this misery once and for all. 

 “I am deeply disappointed that this remains a problem in Sarawak or indeed in Malaysia. Personally, I have been campaigning on this particular issue for nearly a decade and many activists and civil society groups have been calling for change for many years,” he said in a statement.

Picture: Peter John Jaban says the federal government cannot continue to remain deaf and dumb on the stateless issue in Sarawak

“This is not to mention the efforts made by the Department for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development in tackling the issue,” he added.

He said yet the federal government has remained deaf and dumb to our demands, adding:” It is time the issue was taken out of their hands and into our own.”

Peter said as the citizenship is set by the Federal Constitution, the guiding principle is that every person born within Malaysia of whose parents, one at least is at the time of birth either a citizen or a permanent resident, should be given citizenship and all the rights that this affords.

“This is a statement of intent for our nation, for how we wish to include those born within our borders, and yet the state National Registration Department (NRD) insists on doing everything in their power to exclude anyone who doesn’t quite fit their exact profile.

“Sarawak natives have been particularly hard hit by their administrative rigidity, particularly concerning registrations of marriage as a prerequisite, but this inflexibility or, frankly, lack of understanding of the local context has impacted on all Sarawak communities and many Sarawak citizens.”

“We have had so many cases come across our desk of the effect of NRD’s inappropriate policies. I recall the rainbow family, in which seven siblings have the full range of identity cards: blue, green and red.

“This case has been going on for so long that both the father, who was a former border scout, and the mother, have died in the interim. Even worse, one of the siblings passed away during the pandemic with no resolution to their status,” he said. 

Peter said NRD) again has failed to provide citizenship to native Sarawakians including a former boarder scout who died recently despite defending the country during confrontation.

Peter reiterated it is time the country helps stateless natives in Sarawak after 59 years of Independence.

He called on Sarawak’s Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to put his foot down, saying that it is time to bring the approval process back to the state.

“This will ease the unbelievable delays involved, which see young children unable to attend education while they wait, but also allows for more appropriate administrative requirements to be drafted.

“In fact, with Sarawak’s newly regained status and the current unity government, our premier should be campaigning for amendments to the Constitution so that it becomes the Constitution for all regions of Malaysia, not just Malaya,” he said.

Another activist Bill Jugah , also the founder and chief visionary officer for a newly-formed Independent Council Of Natives (ICON), said the reasons behind stateless also exemplify the roots of the problems in the procedure of NRD. 

He said NRD needs to overhaul its policies in the state in order to recognise the stateless situation of many natives.

He said the state should be given the full autonomy over NRD, remarking that the current role of the state NRD director and staff is akin to an office boy or mail delivery service, where the process of approval for applications from Sarawak only comes from Putrajaya.

“Let us solve this issue of statelessness once and for all genuine Sarawakians without going through Putra Jaya. The solution cannot be on a case by case basis,” Jugah said.

He said rules set in Putra Jaya, which does not understand the issues or the customary laws (Adat) cannot be allowed to continue as it has resulted in denial of Sarawak natives nationality,health care, education and even their rights to vote.

“We want the state government  to take control of the registration of stateless people or even issue its own registration card.

"If the government lacks the fortitude to establish its own identity card, ICON is willing to initiate this move even if it is seen as a sign of being recalcitrant or even rebellious,” Jugah said.

 

RM108 million Bebuling Airport project delayed by 19 per cent

BETONG, Sun -- Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah today asked the state Public Works Department (JKR)  to closely monitor the ongoing construction of three big projects in Spaoh district near here.

Picture: DCM Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah being briefed on the construction of Sungai Paku bridge by a site engineer.

According to him, the three projects are the Bebuling Airport, Sungai Paku bridge and  Debak-Tuie Road.

He was informed that airport project is delayed by 18.99 per cent in its construction schedule.

The RM108million project was scheduled to be completed on September 17 this year.

The delay is said to be mainly caused by problems in constructing access road to transport  the machinery and building materials as well as poor weather conditions.

However, the contractor has now resolved the issue and is catching up on the delay with sufficient machinery and manpower at the site.

On the Sungai Paku bridge at Tanjung Sebekut,  it is delayed  6.71 per cent, mainly attributed to the slow performance by the contractor, delayed arrival of construction materials from Malaya and slow delivery of machinery and construction materials to the site

The 100-meter long steel arch bridge costing RM26.75million is now scheduled to be completed by December 21, instead of the original date on  November 5, 2023.

Its construction had commenced on 6th May, 2021

Uggah said all contractors must take note of the steps taken by JKR to catch up on the delays.

"They too must comply with all terms and conditions of their contracts,” he said.