SUPP Sibu branch is rude, arrogant

I can't help but describe the SUPP Sibu branch leaders as very rude and unbecoming by naming Vincent Lau Lee Ming as the SUPP-BN candidate for Sibu parliamentary without consulting the party first and Chief Minister and State BN chairman Taib Mahmud.

They think that they are bigger than the party and State BN by announcing Lau as the candidate first?

They did the same when they named Robert Lau Hui Yew in the 2010 by-election following the death of Robert Lau Hoi Chew, catching party president Dr George Chan by surprise.

They insisted that Hui Yew was a winnable candidate, but was soundly beaten by Sarawak DAP boss Wong Ho Leng.

If not because of the postal votes, Wong would have won by over 2000 votes, despite the fact that Prime Minister Najib and his deput, Muhyiddin Yassin and Chief Minister Taib Mahmud helped in the campaign.

Millions was literally promised to the Sibu voters during the campign, but the people, especially the Chinese, were smarter.

Hui Yew gained most of his votes from the gullible Iban voters, despite the fact that they were the most depressed and suppressed group.

The DAP also gained substantially in the Malay/Melanau areas. In fact, the DAP actually won in two of the biggest Malay/Melanau polling districts.

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SUPP Sibu branch yesterday unanimously recommended Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming and Lanang MP Datuk Tiong Thai King to represent BN in the 13th general election (GE).
Its chairman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said both Lau and Tiong were winnable candidates, and both even enjoyed great support from the Bumiputera community.
“We are here to recommend two candidates for the forthcoming GE. For Lanang is Datuk Tiong Thai King. He is to defend this seat because he is the incumbent.
“For Sibu parliamentary seat (which is now with the opposition), we recommend Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming to be the candidate to win back the seat for BN,” Wong told a press conference at SUPP Sibu branch office yesterday.
Wong, who is also Second Minister of Finance and Minister of Local Government and Community Development, added that the party had to pick winnable candidates.
“It is a unanimous decision, even full support from the Bumiputera community.”
Asked why Lau was recommended for the candidacy, he replied: “Lau is the person who can win.”
Asked when the recommendation would be forwarded to the BN, he said this would be done as soon as possible.
Earlier, a vice chairman of the branch, Daniel Ngieng, said they were confident of defending Lanang and wrest Sibu from the DAP.
“This afternoon (yesterday), SUPP Sibu branch had a meeting, represented by all committee members, including women and youth sections. We unanimously resolved to recommend Datuk Tiong Thai King and Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming to represent BN in the coming GE.
“We all feel that the coming GE for SUPP Sibu and SUPP as a whole is a very crucial challenge.
“As such, we have taken great pains to ensure that the election (preparatory) work should be done very conscientiously. We also took great pains to discuss, resolve, and recomment Tiong Thai King and Temenggong Lau to represent BN-SUPP in the two parliamentary constituencies,” Ngieng said.
Meanwhile, to a question, Wong admitted that a Temenggong could not participate in active politics, so Lau has to give up the post.
“He has to resign if he is chosen as a candidate (by the top BN leadership).”
Sibu used to be a BN stronghold. In the 12th general election in March 2008, Datuk Robert Lau won it for BN-SUPP, but he passed away on April 9, 2010, due to an illness. He was then holding the post of Deputy Minister of Transport.
In the ensuing by-election, BN-SUPP fielded councillor Robert Lau Hui Yew, but he lost to state DAP chairman Richard Wong Ho Leng by a slim 398 votes. Ho Leng garnered 18,845 votes while Hui Yew polled 18,447 votes. Independent candidate Narawi Haron only managed to get 232 votes, and thus lost his deposit.
In the last general election, Tiong (BN-SUPP) polled 19,476 votes against Wong Kee Woan (DAP) 14,612.

Time for the "mute" BN MPs from Sarawak to speak up on native issue

Kuching, March 11, 2012: Native fathers who are married to Chinese mothers in Sarawak must register their strongest protests at the rigid interpretation of the Federal Constitution by local public universities when accepting students, based on the quota system, to take up their programmes.

While Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) is being "honest" in making public its biased administrative policy, the rest do not.

Under its Senarai Program: UiTM 2012, the university lists many courses for the students to take - from foundation, to diploma, bachelor, master and PhD levels.

But the biggest stumbling block for Sarawak students is the constitutional requirements that they must fulfil before they can be accepted to take any of the courses.

Uitm will rely solely on the Federal Constitution before accepting the students to take up its programmes.

The students must fulfil three requirements:

(a) that they are Malaysian citizens
(b) that they must meet the status of bumiputera
(c) fulfilling the minium educational requirements for each progarmme.

While the inteprerations for the "bumiputera status" for Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia are very clear, that of Sarawak is rather complicated.

UiTM says it relies on 161A (6) of the Federal Constitution in classification the native status of the students from Sarawak.

Article 161A (6) states that in relation to Sarawak, a person who is a citizen and either belongs to one of the races as specified in Clause 7 as indigenous to the State or of mixed blood deriving exclusively from those races.

Clause 7 lists the natives of Sarawak as Bukittans, Bisayahs, Dusuns, Sea Dayaks (Ibans), Land Dayaks (Bidayuhs), Kadayans, Kayan, Kenyah, Penans, Lugats, Lisums, Malays, Melanaus, Muruts, Sians, Tagals, Tabuns and Ukits.

While the Federal government "does not recognise" the offsprings of native father-Chinese mothers as natives, the State Government, however, does.

The offsprings of native-father and Chinese mothers are enjoying the privileges accorded to the natives in Sarawak.

There are hundreds of thousands of offsprings of mixed marriages in Sarawak and when their numbers are translated into voters, they can be very formidable in determining the fate of Sarawak politicians.

It is time for these "mute" members of parliament, especially from the BN, to take up the issues in Parliament which is currently in session now.

Speak up, don't just warm your seats. Your performance is judged by your action in and out parliament. Some of you are also the offsprings of mixed marriages.
 Takkan you tidak ambil peduli, and pretend nothing is happening.

ends

Mawan says the return of the Gang of Five is possible

Kuching, March 11, 2012: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president Tan Sri William Mawan said he did not rule out the possibility that the five expelled senior members would return to the party’s fold, though not in the immediate future.

“Anything is possible,” he said when asked to comment on Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s hope for the “Gang of Five” to reconcile with SPDP’s leadership.

“I believe everything is not a complete impossibility as SPDP is a very moderate and reasonable party,” Mawan, who is also the Minister of Social Development, said after chairing the party’s supreme council meeting yesterday.

The five – Assistant Minister of Public Utilities Datuk Sylvester Entrie Muran, Assistant Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Peter Nansian, Assistant Minister of Early Childhood Education Rosey Yunus, Batu Danau State Assemblyman Paulus Gumbang and Mas Gading Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe – were expelled from the party last year on grounds of bringing the party into disrepute.

Taib, who is also the State Barisan Nasional chairman, had said tha the five should be given time to reconcile.

He had said that SPDP would have much to lose and without the five elected representatives, the party was not in a good position.

Mawan agreed with Taib’s analysis of the situation in SPDP and the positions of the five.

He said it was inevitable that a crisis would happen in a party where members would leave or be expelled, but later on they would return to the fold.

“Things happen here and there….gone today, but comes again tomorrow.

“Therefore, we are not ruling out, for political purpose, for us to reconcile with each other,” he said, adding that the suggestion by Taib was “reasonable”.

“We in SPDP have the responsibilities for the overall well-being of the Barisan Nasional, but, at the same time, in working towards reconciliation, we have to look at the position from our party’s angle.

“We have to be firm at certain point in time so to avoid the party from being ripped apart, not because of personal reasons or that we are trying to demonise each other, but for the interest of the party and the BN,” he said.

He said the reconciliation process should not be expedited, but should be allowed time to take place.

“But we must be walking towards it, and not away from it, and if we try to use the short-cut in finding solutions, then we will be running into major problems,” he said, adding:”If we use the short-cut, it is like jumping from the frying pan to the fire.”

He said that the views and opinions of the party members must be sought before reconciliation could take place.

Mawan said he had spoken to the five before they were expelled from the party, even though they had expressed their loss of confidence in his leadership.

“It is up to them whether they want to reconcile,” he said.

On reports that the Gang of Five would form a new political party, Mawan said he had no objection to it as it was their right.

“It is up to the Registrar of Societies to register their party, but I will strongly oppose if they want their party to join the Barisan Nasional.

“Any admission of a new party to the BN’s fold must be through consensus,” he said.

Ends

Chee How: Masing is displaying his arrogance

Kuching (March 6, 2012): Sarawak PKR vice chairman and human rights activist, See Chee How, said Tan Sri Dr James Masing, in backing Datuk Mong Dagang, was clearly displaying his arrogance that call for the severest political condemnation and censure.

“With the show of misdeed by party’s Youth chief and an assistant minister, one would have expected  Masing, as a Senior State Minister, to mollify the damages that has been inflicted on image of the BN government. 

“Instead, he amplified the contemptuous act by challenging the most fundamental ideals of a democracy,  that a government is “of the people, by the people and for the people”, See, who is also the Batu Lintang State Assemblyman, said when commenting on Masing's full support to Mong to stop welfare aid to a disabled person, Frusis Lebi.

Mong also instructed the Agriculture Department to stop giving agriculture subsidies to Frusis.

See said Masing’s callous remarks that that the people should not go against the government because the government was the boss (“towkay”) reflected terribly on the BN leadership of  Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and  Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud. 

“It is obvious that the reign since independence has made him egoistic and arrogant. 

“ Masing should be taught that the relationship between the government and the people is alike the ship and the water. The water can keep you afloat, it can also sink you,” See warned.

 Earlier, Masing, who is also the Land Development Minister, said Frusis should know the rule in life.

“Follow the rule of life, that is, jangan lawan towkay,” Masing, who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, said in defending Mong for stopping a RM300 monthly welfare aid to Frusis Lebi.

Asked to comment, Masing said:”In any organisation, including political parties, we cannot go against the boss. That’s the golden rule in life which we must observe.”

Mong, who is also the PRS Youth chief, is the State Assemblyman for Bukit Begunan.

Frusis, 51, is from Kampung Entulang which is in Mong’s constituency.

Mong claimed that Frusis openly gave support to the Opposition in the April 16, 2011 state election.

Frusis lodged a police report last Friday against Mong for issuing directive to the Welfare Department and Agriculture Department. By Sematong Express

Is it worthwhile for NCR land owners to participate in Salcra scheme?

Kuching, March 6, 2012: Is it worthwhile for the Native Customary Rights (NCR) land owners to participate in the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilation Authority (Salcra), asks former deputy president of the Council of Dayak Customs and Traditions, Nicholas Bawin, today.

He said Deputy Chief Minister and Salcra chairman Alfred Jabu Numpang talked big about Salcra and its so-called millions of dividends which had been given out to the NCR land owners, but in reality, it was not the case.

Take the case of the 30-door Rumah Empirong, Nanga Tutong, for example, Bawin said in the year 2010, each family received a paltry dividends of RM95 only.

"Last year, each family received RM305 and this year, RM350," Bawin told reporters.

He said what he pointed out was true "because I come from the longhouse".

Bawin said land owners from other longhouses received slightly more.

"Salcra is supposed to help the poor land owners, but with the small dividends they reach yearly, how could their economic well-being be improved?" he asked.

Bawin also complained about the unreliable water supply to 21 longhouses in the Batang Ai resettlement scheme, a far distance from the Batang Ai dam.

These longhouses were formerly from areas which were now submerged by the dam.

The government made many promises to them, but at the end of the day, each family was given three acres of land in the resettlement scheme.

Bawin said there should not be any problem for the water supply to reach each family in these longhouses.

"But what we experience regularly is that there are often interruptions of water supply to our homes.

"There should never be any problem because the source of the water is from the big Lemanak River. Why is it that we have this kind of problem?" he asked.

Bawin said after a heavy rain up the catchment area, the water that came from the tap was very muddy.

He said there used to be logging activities up the Lemanak River the past, but because the logging activities were so intensive and extensive, it took years for the trees and plants to grow in the logged-over areas.

He said rain water from these areas washed the mud into the river, the main source of fresh water supply of the longhouses, and that was why the water that came out of the taps was muddy and polluted.