NGO wants probe on Taib book

NGO wants probe on Taib book

Sarawak sabahdaily   7:42 AM

MIRI: The Sarawak People’s Movement or Gerakan Anak Sarawak (GASAK) wants the authorities concerned to probe the contents of a recently released book, Money Logging: On the Trail of the Asian Timber Mafia, by Swiss author and human rights campaigner Lukas Straumann.

The author, who also heads the Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund as Director, claims in his 300-page book that Sarawak Governor Abdul Taib Mahmud, his four children and his siblings have stakes in 333 companies in Malaysia and in another 418 spread around the globe.

The NGO believes the contents of the book smacks of “alleged corruption and abuse of power on the part of Taib during his tenure as Sarawak Chief Minister and Minister for Resource Planning and Management”.

“Until today, Taib has not issued a formal denial or instituted legal proceedings against the book’s author Dr. Lukas Straumann or its publishers which lends credence to our belief that Taib was trying to hide something from the public,” said GASAK spokesperson Romould Siew who stopped short of calling on Taib to step down as Governor and clear his name.

He was making a statement after leading 12 other members of his NGO to lodge reports on Tues at the Miri branch office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Miri Central Police Station.

The reports call upon the police and the MACC to act immediately on the allegations in, Money Logging, as it involves not only the reputation of the present Governor but also the governments of Sarawak and Malaysia.

“It has always been an open secret that Taib and his family members enriched themselves through Sarawak’s lucrative logging industry when he was in power,” said Siew.

“However, it was very difficult to find concrete evidence to link him and his family members on corruption and abuse of power allegations.”

Following the release of the detailed and meticulously researched book, Money Logging, Siew stressed that “the authorities have no excuses that there was no evidence to persecute Taib”.

-f

Dayak NGO not cowed by threats

Dayak NGO not cowed by threats

Sarawak sabahdaily   7:38 AM

KUCHING: De Facto Dayak Informal Group (DIG) Chief, Dr. Dusit Jaul, has vowed that he will not be intimidated by threats, even to his person, and that he will continue to speak up on the rights of the Orang Asal and on human rights issues.

“We do not trample on or deny the rights of other communities. All we ask is for Dayaks to be treated fairly, no more and no less,” said Dusit who stressed that he cannot be bullied into submission when his people, the majority community in Sarawak, have been marginalized.

“It’s not wrong if we speak up on the matter to attract attention to the issues at hand. Everything is done according to the law when we air the grouses of the Dayak community to the government.”

Dusit was explaining a police report lodged on Friday at the Sungai Maong station by a DIG member, Eric Dile, on behalf of the NGO and other members following threats to him (Dusit) by a group of unknown persons on October 4, 5 and 7.

Earlier, Dusit had lodged a report of the incidents at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) Police One Stop Centre. He added that “he wants the government to seriously consider the group’s requests or face the wrath of the community”.

“The government can choose to fulfill our requests or face a more aggressive and skilled Dayak community in the future,” he warned. “We believe that what we are doing today is for the good of Sarawak and the Sarawak government.”

Recalling the alleged incidents, Dusit claims that five men reportedly from the “Special Branch in Bukit Aman” trespassed into his residence in Tabuan Jaya on October 7 at 10.45 am when he was not at home.

Apparently, they refused to produce any identification documents.

The five ordered Dusit’s wife, who was alone at home at the time, to advise her husband to stop harping on the rights and issues affecting Dayaks.

“They told my wife to advise me to follow the footsteps of ‘good’ Dayak government figures like Michael Manyin, Peter Nansian, and Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang,” related Dusit. “The five men disclosed that they would be issuing a similar warning to James Masing in the near future.”

According to Dusit’s wife, as related by him, three of the five were fluent in Iban, while the other two were an Indian and a Malay.

Dusit believes the five men who confronted his wife are the same ones who had apparently been monitoring his movements of late.

Earlier, in two separate incidents on October 4 and Oct 5, he alleged that some men trailed his vehicle to Lubok Antu.

It appears that he was pulled over somewhere along the way, by the men trailing him, and asked to wind down all of his car windows before being allowed to continue his journey.

Sarawak Police, according to sources, are in the dark about the alleged incidents and hinted that the suspects may be rogue elements engaged by politicians who keep a tight leash on the Dayak communities.

-fmt

Rectify past mistakes, Jeffrey tells PM

Rectify past mistakes, Jeffrey tells PM

Sarawak sabahdaily   9:17 PM

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should not resort to rhetoric but instead work on rectifying the mistakes of the past in the formation of Malaysia, Bingkor assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan said.

Kitingan said granting self-government would enable Sabah and Sarawak to stand on their own feet as equals of Malaya.

He said self-government was inherent in an equal partnership concept and the only way of saving Malaysia from teetering towards a break-up.
He added that the constitutions of Sabah and Malaysia were not on accord on what “Federation” means.

He was commenting on the growing controversy in social media that Article 160 of the Federal Constitution interprets “Federation” as that set up by the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948 and cemented by the Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957.

Najib had in his Malaysia Day speech in Miri compared the Federation with the United States and stressed that states joining the American Union after the original 13 colonies did were in the same situation as Sabah and Sarawak when they joined Malaysia.

“If the basis for Sabah and Sarawak to be in the Federation was as that stated by the Prime Minister, it could not be something that our founding fathers would have possibly bargained for.

“There would have been no Malaysia if the Malayan leaders had stated in 1963 what they are claiming today,” said Kitingan.

The longtime Borneo rights activist reinforced his argument with a reference to Lord Cobbold who chaired the Cobbold Commission on Malaysia.

He pointed out that Lord Cobbold referred in his Report to Malaysia as “a new nation, a partnership”.

Lord Cobbold had said: “It is a necessary condition that from the outset, Malaysia should be regarded by all concerned, as an association of partners, combining in the common to create a new nation but retaining their own individualities.”

-FMT

Zimbabwean Student Isolated At Sarawak Hospital For Suspected Ebola

Zimbabwean Student Isolated At Sarawak Hospital For Suspected Ebola

Sarawak sabahdaily   5:46 PM

A 24-year-old Zimbabwean student is under investigation for Ebola and has been admitted at an isolation ward of the Sarawak General Hospital since last night, Sarawak Assistant Minister for Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said here today.

He said the male student from a private university campus here had developed cough, severe body ache and high fever, among the early symptoms related to Ebola, after being in contact with a group of Nigerian students who had just returned to Sarawak from their home country.

"He (the Zimbabwean student) had been referred to a private specialist hospital here (but) because of the symptoms and because of him having contacts with the Nigerian students, he was later referred to the Sarawak General Hospital," he told a hastily-called press conference at his office in Petra Jaya here.

He said the Nigerian students had been found to be in good health but the state health authority is keeping them in isolation at the campus for the time being pending further medical checkS on them.

"Even though they are healthy we also do an extensive investigation on all the Nigerian students who had gone back to Nigeria and come back to our State," he said.

Dr Jerip said samples obtained from the affected student were currently being analysed by the State Epidemiology Unit and it might take at least about a week before the result from the analysis could be obtained.

He said the public should not panic as the State Medical Department was taking all the required disease preventive measures.

"We want to be very sure... even though we have this situation (where it is not confirmed yet whether the student has Ebola) we are putting ourselves in a high precautionary state," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Sarawak Stadium Fracas: Five Detained

Sarawak Stadium Fracas: Five Detained

Sarawak sabahdaily   3:37 PM

KUCHING, Aug 31 (Bernama) -- Five youths were detained in the fracas that broke out at the State Stadium in Petra Jaya here Saturday night.

Kuching district deputy police chief (Operations), Supt Fauzilan Abdul Aziz, confirmed the arrests of the five men, aged between 17 and 20.

He said during the fracas, five policemen were injured, seven police vehicles were dagamed, while another police vehicle was completely torched.

The incident broke out at 11 pm after the Malaysia Cup match between Sarawak and Perak ended with a 1-1 draw, which also meant that Sarawak had been booted out of the competition.

Approximately 2,000 unsatisfied fans rushed onto the field after the game before burning flares and fireworks and threw objects at the police personnel on duty.

A group on men went causing damage to public properties and police vehicles outside the stadium.

The police managed to disperse the crowd and put the situation under control after 30 minutes.

-- BERNAMA

Failed protest: Why arrest Yusof Baharuddin?

Failed protest: Why arrest Yusof Baharuddin?

Sarawak sabahdaily   5:34 AM

Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) Sarawak, which failed to pull-off its ‘Nyah Taib’ (anti-Taib) protest on Dec 29, today accused the police of practicing double standard in the recent arrest of activist Yusof Baharuddin.

The NGO alleged the police were quick to arrest ‘resisting’ activists but played cool on reports of threats to Pakatan Rakyat leaders made in the social media.

“SAMM Sarawak expresses its regret because the police always practise double standards as they are very efficient and fast to arrest resisting activists.

“Yet they remain silent towards every threat made on Pakatan Rakyat leaders through Facebook from government supporters,” SAMM Sarawak coordinator Azan Akma said in a statement.

He was responding to Yusof’s arrest for alleged threatening to murder Sarawak chief minister Taib Mahmud in his recent facebook posting.

Yusof was reportedly arrested at the Kuching International Airport on Tuesday, Dec 31, two days after the failed protest opposite Taib house in Jalan Demak here.

Yusof was remanded for three days and will appear in court tomorrow.

He allegedly posted: “Berapa billion Engkau nak kumpul lagi?? Kau memang zalim, dan kau pemimpin yg tamak dgn kuasa, wang ringgit serta harta. Kau bukan lagi pemimpin yg layak mewakili rakyat Sarawak malah kau bukan seorang pemimpin Islam. (How many millions more do you want to accumulate? You are cruel, and you are a leader who is greedy for power, money and property. You are no longer a worthy leader for Sarawakians, not even a leader of Islam).

“Sesungguhnya kau yg bernama Taib bin Mahmud adalah seorang pemimpin Bangsat..!! Kalau kau berada dihadapan ku pasti aku kasi pecah sama kepala kau yg da bertanduk seperti SETAN…!! (You, Taib bin Mahmud are indeed a despicable leader! If you are in front of me, I will surely crack that head with horns of yours!).”

Situation worsening in Sarawak

Condemning Yusof’s arrest Azan said the former had been actively helping SAMM Sarawak with all its logistics here including the Nyah Taib campaign.

He said Yusof had gone to the Kuching International Airport on Tuesday to send off the SAMM national delegation when police arrested him.

“We are wondering if police arrested and remanded him for because of his post in social network or his involvement in the Kempen Nyah Taib started by SAMM,” she said.

Azan also said SAMM Sarawak had issued a call to all Sarawak youths “to rise and fight the Taib regime’, which she labeled as ‘worsening’ and was ‘stealing Sarawak’s resources’ to ‘consolidate his family’s wealth empire’.

He also alleged that power abuse in the state was now rampant.

“Sarawakians’ lands are being seized and anyone defying Taib is being dragged to the lockup.

“Sarawakians are afraid of Taib Mahmud no more. We must be confident and brave. Enough that we had been oppressed for decades. Let us unite to fight for our rights and defend Sarawak our homeland,” he stated.

A delegation from SAMM national, led by its founder Badrul Hisham Bahrin of Chegu Bard, was in Sarawak for a few days last month.

Among others, they organized a dialogue in Baram and were also in Kuching, in what they described as ‘working visit’ to Sarawak.

They refuted claims that they were involved in the failed protest on Dec 29.

PKR not involved

Badrul, in denying any links between the failed protest, PKR and its youth movement Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) said the ‘planned demonstration was a rumour spun by Taib’s apple polishers”.

Badrul further asserted in his blog chegubard.blogspot.com, that pro-Taib factions had ‘panicked’ in regards to SAMM’s working visit to Sarawak on December 27-30.

In his post dated December 24, Badrul wrote about a pre-launch of ‘Nyah Taib’ campaign, which he described as ‘not a political campaign, but targets Taib individually’.

“(He) had promised many times to the public to quit, but to date, always avoiding the issue using many excuses,” Badrul posted.

He also posted, “the campaign is yet to start but already it brought jitters. The official media to pro-Taib Internet media have been used to attack the SAMM working visit”.

-FMT