‘Sabah is boiling, Sarawak dissatisfied’

How much have we achieved in the 46 years? We remain East and West, we remain Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Dayak, Kadazan. Are we one? Or are we just talk?’

For better or for worse, Happy Birthday Malaysia

Brij Jayaram Kathiravelu: Sabahans and Sawarakians best epitomise the very values we wish all Malaysians would. I feel sorry to read all the negative headlines from Borneo. They are laden with numerous issues including illegal immigrants, poverty and indigenous polarisation.

The BN federal government owes it to the East Malaysians to address all these issues as its very survival depends on East Malaysians. East Malaysians, please pressure your politicians to address all issues pertaining to your states. Selamat Hari Malaysia!

Lim Chong Leong: The divide-and-rule policy of the great BN … only to keep themselves in power and milk its citizens dry. How much have we achieved in the 46 years? We remain East and West, we remain Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Dayak, Kadazan. Are we one? Or are we just talk?

Kgen: Sabah is boiling, Sarawak is dissatisfied. Will they still vote obediently as BN’s fixed deposit of parliamentary seats? Now that there is an alternative, will they give Pakatan a chance or stick with the devil they know? You deserve the government you vote for.

Badrul Omar: 1Malaysia? Why do West Malaysians still need to pass through immigration when visiting Sabah or Sarawak and produce their MyKads or passports? Aren’t we in the same country?

Satria Asia: I’ve been to the other side of the South China Sea only once and that was so long ago. Speaking casually to some of the folks, I did feel some animosity towards the ‘west’ and wondered when some attempt at independence was going to take place.

But I guess for Sabah and Sarawak, joining Malaysia was a choice between two evils. Fortunately or unfortunately, they chose Malaya.

Gk: This article is a ‘wake-up’ call for BN government to be more ‘inclusive’. Malaysia Day should be the National Day, not Merdeka Day on Aug 31. Let’s celebrate Malaysia Day from now on.

Borneoman: I fully subscribe to the same view. Similarly the situation in Sarawak is exactly the same as Sabah. Many East Malaysians would agree that we were better off under the British than the “Malay” government.

At least under the British we had the best education in the region, an efficient mixed race civil service and an independent judiciary. And there never were any race or religious problems. So pray tell us why are we treated like second-class citizens? That’s why there is a general lack of interest to celebrate Merdeka Day here.

Gen2: Sabah is the poorest state despite its rich resources because its own leaders took care of themselves and their own pockets first rather than the rakyat. Don’t be too proud of your interracial tolerance because it won’t last long under the current BN government.

Citizen: Malaysia ‘truly Asia’ is found in Sabah not in West Malaysia. Years of racial politics have taken its toll, for West Malaysia too was like Sabah when I was young in the yesteryears. I hope Sabah will not fall into the same trap of racial and religious intolerance, now that race-based parties have entered Sabah.

Sabah, Sarawak Vibrant Examples Of 1Malaysia – Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has described the spirit of unity and harmony among the people of Sabah and Sarawak as a vibrant example of 1Malaysia.

He said that there were many examples in both states of how Malaysians of different racial, religious and ethnic roots “can come together around the many things that unite us, instead of allowing the few things that divide us to drive us apart.”

“The story of Sabah and Sarawak is the story of 1Malaysia, and has informed and inspired my commitment to this concept.

“They are a testament to the fact that our differences unite this country,” Najib said in his personal statement in conjunction with Malaysia Day today to commemorate the formation of Malaysia in 1963 by Sabah, Sarawak and the then Malaya.

Citing the Gawai celebrations in longhouses in Sarawak as an example, the prime minister said, he could not help but think that the people of Sarawak had already adopted the values of 1Malaysia “long before I explained its various elements.”

He said that this scenario had driven his commitment, and that he believed that it had an important and lasting impact on Malaysia’s development.

“Malaysians of any race or creed need simply look to Sabah and Sarawak to gain an understanding of the incredibly strong and harmonious unity that can be found in accepting and respecting the diversity of our nation,” he said.

On Sabah, he said, what impressed him the most was the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit among the people in their development of a thriving ecotourism industry, turning Sabah into a significant contributor to the nation’s economy.

He acknowledged however that the economic progress in the two states was being hampered by inadequate transportation networks, underfunded schools and insufficient provision of services.

That was why he extended federal government grants to local authorities in Sabah and Sarawak, he said.

Najib also said that it was important for the government to provide the same opportunities to all and improve the lives of Malaysians regardless of race, religion “or the corner of Malaysia that they choose to call home.”

“In the end, whether we live in a remote longhouse or a high-rise in Kuala Lumpur, we are all Malaysians and we are all part of the 1Malaysia that we love,” he said.

In his blog http://www.1malaysia.com.my, Najib also recalls the time when his father Tun Abdul Razak witnessed the historic proclamation of Sabah’s independence in 1963.

Najib said he was 10 at that time “but I remember how proud he was during that momentous occasion. Sabah and Sarawak occupy a special place in my heart because of that history.”

He added that much of the country’s cultural heritage was tied to the icons of life in Sabah and Sarawak.

“Longhouses are as much a mainstay of life there as they are a symbol for our need as Malaysians to learn to live under one roof and to build up our national house together.

“When the sun rises over Malaysia, it shines first on Sabah and Sarawak. Our future as a country depends on our ability to work and live together,” the prime minister said.

ARREST OF JOAS LEADERS IN SARAWAK ON PENAN ISSUE

As Malaysia commemorates its 46th anniversary, 15 indigenous Sarawakians have been detained by Kuching police for trying to send a memorandum of protest to the Sarawak Chief Minister.

Among those arrested are Mark Bujang (BRIMAS), Raymond Abin (BRIMAS) and Hellan Empaing (WADESA), all leaders of the Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia) as well as representatives from the Kayan, Kenyah and Penan communities of Sarawak.

 

The contingent, consisting of 6 Penan, 4 Iban, 2 Kayan and 3 Kenyah are all representatives of communities who will be affected by two major dams which are being built in their areas. They had prepared a memorandum on the issue and were delivering it to Wisma Bapa Malaysia, the office of the Chief Minister. While waiting for endorsement of the document, they were arrested by local police. They are currently being held in the Kampung Gita Police Station in Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak. It is uncertain whether they are being charged, or what reasons are being given for their detention.

Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia strongly condemns the detention of its members who were attempting to deliver a memorandum on behalf of the indigenous peoples of the Baram and Murum areas of Sarawak. The memorandum protested the State Government’s actions to build hydro electric dams in these areas without the free, prior and informed consent of the communities affected and without due regards to the status of the native lands involved. The actions of the State Government are in clear contradiction to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Malaysia strongly supports.

We also condemn the use of arrest to intimidate and silence the voices of the communities who are questioning the construction of large dams on the area. This demonstrates the unwillingness of the State Government to ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples in projects that affect them.

We call upon the Sarawak State Government to immediately release all fifteen Sarawakians and engage in a proper consultative process with the affected communities. We also call for the respect of the constitutional native land rights of these communities. It is also in violation of the right to peaceful assembly, guaranteed under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

Yours truly,

Adrian Lasimbang

President

Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS)

KD TAR –M’sia Day gift for Sabah?

14th September, 2009

KOTA KINABALU: A few years ago, the idea of a submarine housed in this state of Sabah, the northern part of Borneo Island, would have been just a dream.

But come Sept 17, that dream would turn into a reality as the nation’s first submarine, after crossing the South China Sea, will dock at its permanent berth at the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) base in Sepanggar Bay, the second largest after the Lumut base in Perak.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

I refer New Sabah Times news dated 14 Sept 2009. I dont see any assurance that this 3.4 billion sub will stop the infuxing illigal immigrant to Sabah waters.  Unless this is yet proven, no use for Malaysia to buy such an expensive submarine where as this $$$ could be used on Sabah’s main road repair & construction especially for the interior road.

Sabah still needs extra RM10b for new roads

15th September, 2009RANAU: Sabah is still in need of an additional RM10 billion to upgrade and construct new roads, said Rural Development Minister, Datuk Ewon Ebin.He said although the federal government had approved RM4 billion for road construction and repairs in Sabah and Sarawak, the amount is far from sufficient. “This is still not enough to meet the demand”, he said while acknowledging however that both the state and federal governments are committed in wanting to meet the people’s needs. Speaking during a meeting with villagers of Kg Mansalu and Kg Tundagon here yesterday, Ewon stressed the need for better roads in the state for they form the basic channel for other types of development to be distributed particularly in the rural areas. Also present were Ranau MP Datuk Siringan Gubat, Kundasang assemblyman Dr Joachim Gunsalam as well as state and federal government officers.

 New Sabah Times dont  simply publish a ‘feel good channel’ news for the people of Sabah.

Former Govt printing Dept Director passes away

Sipitang: Former Sabah Director of the Government Printing Department, Charles Ayub Tabed (pic), passed away at the age of 58 at his hometown early Sunday.

He is survived by his wife Anna Sali and five children.

He was also a former State footballer and one of the four Lundayeh boys selected to represent Sabah in the Burnly Cup and Borneo Cup in 1971 and 1972.

Tabed was responsible for setting up a body to take care of the welfare of people from villages in Tenom and Sipitang when they visited sick family members at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Later, he helped form the famous Dayeh United Football and Hockey Clubs.

He was responsible for drafting the constitution of the Persatuan Lundayeh Sabah and later became its first secretary-general and eventually elected as one of its presidents.

In honour of his dedication and commitment to his job, Tabed was awarded the ADK in 2000 and ASDK in 2007 by Head of State Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah.

DE

TAKLIMAT PENANAMAN KOKO, GETAH & LADA

 Taklimat penanaman Koko, getah dan lada telah diadakan oleh Pergerakan Pemuda UPKO Pusat bertempat di Dewan Perpustakaan Donggongon, Penampang baru-baru ini. Taklimat ini telah dirasmikan oleh Encik Philip Lasimbang iaitu Setiausaha Politik, Kementerian Perusahaan Perladangan, Komoditi Malaysia

 

Penceramah :

1. Encik Ramlee Kassim,      Pegawai Lembaga Koko Pantai Barat & Pedalaman
2. Encik Gilbert Goon,        Pegawai Kanan, Lembaga Lada (Sarawak)
3. Encik Zaini Ithnin,          CEO Forest Plantation Development 

 Lebih 150 peserta bumiputera Sabah telah mengikuti taklimat ini.

 Ketua pergerakan pemuda UPKO pusat, Encik Arthur telah menegaskan bahawa teras keusahawanan adalah teras kepada perjuangan pemuda, untuk menambahkan pendapatan ekonomi pemuda.Beliau turut memberi nasihat pada para peserta taklimat bahawa masa depan mereka terletak di tangan mereka sendiri untuk berusaha.. Beliau turut juga menggesa agar kerajaan mempercepatkkan pemberian geran tanah & LUC. 

Encik  Philip Lasimbang tertarik kepada agenda keusahawanan pemuda UPKO untuk menambahkan sumber ekonomi pemuda dan turut menjelaskan bahawa salah satu KPI kementerian aldalah membantu pekebun kecil, yang perlu pembelaan berterusan.

Beliau menegaskan masyarakat setempat perlu ambil kesempatan dari agensi-agensi kerajaan yang sudah sedia wujud untuk memajukan diri.Buliau juga mahu para penggiat pertanian mengutamakan hasil kualiti yang terbaik kerana bantuan modal, pasaran & kepakaran teknikal sudah disediakan oleh kerajaan. Beliau turut menggesa para peserta taklimat membuat keputusan cepat untuk menceburi bidang pertanian. 

Hadiah Khas juga telah disampaikan kepada Tokoh Pemuda Berjaya, Encik Jefrin Majangki, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Sistem Tagal merangkap PKR Paginatan. Hadiah & sijil ini disampaikan oleh Timbalan ketua Pemuda UPKO Pusat, YB Masiung Banah, merangkap ADUN Kuamut.

 Taklimat 1 – Penanaman KOKO – oleh En. Ramlee Kassim

 Pengenalan

Kesesuaian Tanah

Jarak antara tanaman

Pembajaan

Cara-cara permohonan bantuan

Pendapatan hasil Koko

Sesi soal jawab

 Ceramah 2 – Penanaman Lada Putih / Hitam – oleh En. Gilbert Goon

 Pengenalan & Vieriti tentang Lada

Kesesuaian Tapak / Tanah

Kontur & Kesesuaian Tanah

Jarak & Tiang sokongan

Menanam lada di ladang / kebun (Bakut & Dolomite)

Penyediaan & Semaian Keratan

Penyelenggaraan Kebun

Pembajaan & rumput penutup bumi

Pendapatan pengeluaran Lada Putih & Lada hitam

Borang permohonan

Sesi Soal Jawab

 Ceramah 3 – Penanaman Getah & Perkayuaan Nasional – oleh En. Zaini Ithnin

 Pengenalan

Contoh-contoh kayu berkualiti

Pengenalan spesis getah 1Malaysia

Kesesuaian Tanah

Jarak antara tanaman

Pembajaan

Cara-cara permohonan bantuan pinjaman & dain-lain

Pendapatan  hasil penjualan lateks dan penebangan kayu selepas tahun ke 16

Sesi soal jawab

 

Justice now for Penan rape victims

Finally, it is officially confirmed – Penan girls in the interiors have been raped and sexually harassed by timber camp workers.

The story first broke in October last year when some Penan rape victims came to Kuala Lumpur in the company of a few women NGOs to seek redress for their plight.

Because of the seriousness of the allegations and the publicity around the issue, a special task force was set up on Oct 8, 2008 under the then Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Ng Yen Yen. The task force also included representatives from a number of other ministries.

I know for a fact that the task force did send a delegation to visit the Penan settlements to interview the rape victims. They were helped by the local NGOs, and did not encounter much problem during their investigation. A source reported that one female official was sobbing as she was taking down the testimony of the rape victims.

Then inspector-general of police Musa Hassan took a personal interest in the matter, and invited some Sarawak NGOs and their West Malaysian counterparts for a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 9 this year.

He subsequently instructed his men and women to work with the NGOs to probe into the rape allegations. Until today, the investigation has yet to made a single trip to interview the Penan victims in their villages. It is probably not high on their list of priorities.

Then silence reigned supreme. I had heard quite a while back that the task force report had been prepared and later approved by the cabinet, but somehow it was hidden deep in the bowels of bureaucratic officialdom.

Then a few days ago, PKR Wanita chief Zuraidah Kamaruddin and her team held a protest outside the Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s office, demanding that the report be released. They were given a copy of the task force just like that, “Nah, ini dia!”

My communal blog ‘Hornbill Unleashed‘ uploaded the report on the same day, Sept 8, and it was quickly picked up by net news portals such as Malaysiakini. Three days later, it made frontpage headline in the Star, detailing all the horror the Penan women and girls had to suffer at the hands of the lecherous timber camp workers.

For once, I was pleased with and grateful to the Star, even if it is owned by MCA. I know its reporters have been under some pressure to step back a little from covering the unfolding events.

CM: Rape reports all ‘lies’

What has been the official response so far?

The Sarawak Woman and Family Council chairperson and Assistant Minister in the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Department Fatimah Abdullah has refrained from giving comments until she has read all the reports and discussed with her council members.

She said there are different investigations by different groups with their own agenda, so she had to be careful.

She is amazingly simplistic of course, despite her long title. She could have easily read the task force’s report online. Besides, there has been no investigation at all by the police or any official authorities, except that which was conducted by the Woman, Family and Community Development.

When she talked about agenda, she was probably thinking of those NGOs and foreign instigators hiding behind every tree in Sarawak’s vast jungle.

Moreover, she did not express any concern for the Penan girls who were raped.

Fatimah is just a junior member of the Sarawak state government. Let us hear what the leading lights of the Sarawak administration have to say.

When the story broke last year, the Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud said the reports were nothing but “lies” and demanded that the newspapers corrected them. “Check your information or you will be suspected by the decent people of Sarawak of trying to sabotage us when we have toiled and developed our state,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu, who is the chairperson of the steering committee on Penan Affairs, said that it would be a waste of time to investigate. He said: “I have not heard of such complaints from the Penan communal leaders in my many visits to Ulu Baram.”

Sarawak Rural Development Minister James Masing described the Penans as “good storytellers”.Then on Sept 8, the Sarawak CID chief senior assistant commissioner II Huzir Mohamad told the Star that unless the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry can furnish them with details such as names, place, and time, the police cannot do much investigation.

This really takes the cake. The police are paid by the taxpayers to investigate the reports of crimes. A year after the police reports had been lodged, they are still waiting for the ministry to do their police job. Talk about Little Napoleons!

Police the problem, not solution

Actually, the police are the problem, and not a solution to the problems faced by the Penans.

In the past, whenever the Penans put up blockades to stop the incursion into their ancestral land by logging and plantation companies, the police would come and arrest them and break up their blockades.

Without having read Karl Marx, the naturally wise Penans have long ago realised that the police are part of the superstructure of the state out to protect the interest of the capitalists. Whatever report they make to the police will be consistently ignored.

Even if a police team were to be sent to the Penan settlements to investigate the rape allegations, the Penans have such fear and suspicion for these officers of the law that they will run to hide in the forest.

The Penans will only trust those NGO activists who have been working for a long time with them, and for them. There is a coalition of 35 Malaysian NGOs actively agitating for justice for the Penan rape victims. Since last year, they have pledged their cooperation with the police to get to the bottom of the matter. Without their help, the police may as well give up on investigating the cases.

In the end, the police have not cooperated with the NGOs. They refused to accept the NGOs’ terms of reference, their itinerary, the mode of transport, and even the proposals as to where to meet the Penan rape victims.

The police are simply not culturally sensitive to the unique Penan way of doing things. To them, the Penans are the subaltern objects of administration, and not subjects like all other Malaysians whose life and personal security the police are paid to protect.

The Penans are a small community of about 12,000 people, living in the remote upper reaches of the Baram and Rejang rivers. The so-called “development” brought in by the logging and plantation industries have resulted in endless grief for the Penan, though the opening of the rainforests has brought immense wealth to a few politically-connected individuals.

Even as you read this, there are a few Penan blockades in the Baram region where they try to challenge the might of the bulldozers with their blow pipes and their bodies. In the Bakun area in upriver Rejang, some 3,000 Penans are suffering from an acute shortage of food because of failed crops and destruction of their food source in the jungle.

The rape of young Penan girls may still be going on.

Please do not for a moment think that the Penans are far away, out of sight, and therefore out of mind. They are like you and me, fellow Malaysian citizens who should benefit from the fruits of independence and development.

The rape of women anywhere is a hideous, heinous crime of violence. To appreciate the sorry plight of the Penan womenfolk, just ask this question to yourself: “How will I feel if my young daughters are raped by total strangers who happen to be driving their school buses?”

SIM KWANG YANG can be reached at kenyalang@hotmail.com

UMNO Parti Islam…

Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, UMNO adalah sebuah parti Islam yang sebenar walaupun ia tidak menggunakan label Islam dalam membela dan merancang pembangunan umat Islam dan negara ini.

Katanya, UMNO sememangnya membela dan menaikkan taraf hidup umat Islam dengan membasmi kemiskinan menerusi pelbagai program kerajaan terutamanya menerusi rancangan Felda.

“Dalam Islam, kemiskinan itu menghampiri kekufuran dan UMNO sejak 53 tahun yang lepas berusaha membasmi kemiskinan di kalangan umat Islam dengan membuka tanah rancangan Felda dan adakah ini bukan tuntutan Islam?,” kata beliau ketika menghadiri majlis Rahmat Ramadan di Felda Teloi Timur di sini hari ini.

Give Kadazandusun based party chance to represent their people: Tailin

Membakut : In conjunction with the on-going Election Commission (EC) re-delineation exercise of state constituency in Sabah, UPKO Kimanis Division chief Mr. Tailin Mainan suggest that Barisan Nasional especially UMNO should give chance to its Kadazandusun Murut based party counterpart to represent their own community in all constituency. This is inline with the principal of power sharing concept which upheld by all of Barisan Nasional component party. He was speaking during Kimanis UPKO divisional meeting recently in Membakut. 

Mr. Tailin reiterate that some UMNO members should stop making claims for KDM seats especially through the mass media.

 “What is happening in Kota Marudu and Keningau is disheartening. Making claims on KDM majority seats and asking a Barisan Nasional component deputy president to give up his seat is ridiculous. Who give them authority to dictate other component party? ” 

He urges all UPKO members to stay calm and don’t react to such baseless claims made by some UMNO members. 

“After all UMNO have dominated more than 55% of seats in Sabah apart from contesting all bumiputera seats in West Malaysia. UPKO never argue this.” Tailin also noted that former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had declared UPKO as the only party that represented the KDM race during the UPKO Congress in 2003. 

He believe that under the new leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Sri Najib who is also the Barisan Nasional Chairman, will be fair and understand the needs of minority component party in Barisan Nasional.

Tailin, who is also UPKO supreme council member, reminded that UPKO, all these while, fighting for the KDM cause in education, language, citizenship and other matters.

“KDM community numbers are less than one million in whole entire world. We cannot determine the rules of the game because we are too few and mostly will be dictate by Malay majority “We just want to make sure that the minority are well represented and respected in the country” he stressed.

Also present during the meeting were Kimanis UPKO  Deputy Chief, Gundohing Godfrey Daya, all division members as well as Kimanis UPKO wing leaders Wilfred Stephen and Cecilia Ondoi.

Pemuda PBS Matunggong tepis tuntutan UMNO

MATUNGGONG: Ketiga-tiga kerusi pilihan raya di Kota Marudu sudah dipegang oleh Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) sejak ditubuhkan dan adalah mengeruhkan keadaan sekiranya ada parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) cuba meminta salah satu kerusi itu.

Ketua Pemuda PBS Matunggong, Marius Masain berkata baik ketika berada dalam pembangkang mahupun kerajaan, rakyat di kawasan Kota Marudu tidak pernah sekalipun mengabaikan mandat mereka untuk meletakkan PBS sebagai wakil di ketiga-tiga kawasan itu.

“Justeru tiada sebab mengapa suara rakyat perlu dinafikan untuk meminta PBS mewakili kawasan-kawasan ini hanya kerana ada parti komponen yang mahu mendapatkan bahagian kerusi.

“Dasar pembahagian kerusi sudah dikompromikan ketika penyertaan semula PBS ke dalam BN dan adalah tidak bijak sekiranya dasar itu mahu diubah sesuka hati hanya kerana mahu melayan permintaan pihak tertentu,” kata Marius.

Marius berkata demikian ketika menyampaikan ucapan dasar Pemuda PBS Bahagian Matunggong sempena mesyuarat agung bahagian berkenaan pada Khamis yang telah dirasmikan oleh Timbalan Presiden PBS, Datuk Dr. Maximus Johnity Ongkili.

Tiga kerusi yang dimaksudkan Marius ialah kawasan Parlimen Kota Marudu, kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Tandek dan DUN Matunggong. Kesemua kerusi ini diwakili PBS.

Kenyataan Marius itu merujuk kepada ucapan Ketua Umno Bahagian Kota Marudu, Wetrom Bahanda @ Mohd Fikri yang memohon kepada Perhubungan Umno Negeri dan Pusat agar memberikan salah satu kerusi berkenaan kepada Umno pada pilihan raya umum akan datang.

Menurut Marius lagi, kenyataan Wetrom yang turut tersiar di sebuah akhbar tempatan boleh melemahkan kekuatan BN dan bercanggah dengan konsep 1Malaysia yang diilhamkan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“Kenyataan itu boleh melemahkan kerjasama yang baik dalam semangat sesama parti komponen BN dan pucuk pimpinan BN perlu melihat perkara itu secara serius dan kalau boleh pihak yang menimbulkan percanggahan perlu dikenakan tindakan disiplin,” kata Marius.

Dalam mesyuarat itu, Pemuda PBS Matunggong meluluskan usul agar Dr Maximus terus dicalonkan bagi kerusi Parlimen Kota Marudu pada pilihan raya umum akan datang.

 

Mutilated Playboy model Jasmine Fiore identified by her breast implants

Lisa Lepore, second from right, mother of former model Jasmine Fiore, is comforted by unidentified family friends at news conference at the Buena Park City Hall, in a Buena Park, California Photo: AP

Jasmine Fiore, who has been identified as the woman whose body was found stuffed inside a suitcase and placed in a dumpster. Photo: GETTY/AP

Police believe Ryan Alexander Jenkins reported her missing on Saturday night – after her body had been found – and then disappeared when detectives said they wanted to talk to him Photo: SPLASH

 

Investigators in California said Jasmine Fiore, 28, was identified using the serial number from her implants because detectives could not use fingerprints or dental records.

The US authorities are hunting for Ryan Alexander Jenkins her boyfriend, a reality TV contestant, who on Thursday was charged with her murder.

 Miss Fiore had her fingers and teeth “forcibly removed”, prosecutors said.

Mr Jenkins, 32, is thought to haev slipped into Canada after driving and power-boating more than 1,000 miles from southern California after the corpse of Miss Fiore was found in a suitcase dumped in a rubbish bin in Los Angeles on Saturday.

“The victim had been badly beaten, all of her fingers had been cut off, and all of her teeth had been forcibly removed,” said a statement from the California prosecutors.

Canada said its security forces were looking for Mr Jenkins.

Police believe Mr Jenkins reported her missing on Saturday night – after her body had been found – and then disappeared when detectives said they wanted to talk to him.

Mr Jenkins was a contestant on the VH1 reality show Megan Wants a Millionaire, a US television show in which men with a net worth of at least $1 million vie to win a woman seeking to become a “trophy wife”. He is variously described as an architect, property developer and investment banker.

Accused of ‘enticing’ Iking

KUALA LUMPUR: A high-profile trial is shaping up with the husband of celebrity TV presenter Daphne Iking accusing a corporate figure of “enticing” his wife.

The man has dragged the managing director to court under Section 498 of the Penal Code for “enticing or taking away or detaining with a criminal intent a married woman.”

Choy Khin Ming, dressed smartly in a white shirt and black pants, stood in the dock as his lawyers and the aggrieved husband’s lawyers introduced themselves to magistrate Mohd Faizi Che Abu.

The appearance of two other lawyers, Ravi Nekoo and Pushpa Ratnam, took the court by surprise when the former told magistrate Mohd Faizi Che Abu that they were there to hold a watching brief for Iking and may file to ask questions later.

Even before the hearing began, things got heated with lawyers from both sides at loggerheads over an application to adjourn the trial. At one point, they even got into a shouting match.

Choy’s lead counsel Jagjit Singh sought for an adjournment saying he was recovering from a recent heart ailment and needed more time to study the documents which he had been receiving in stages.

Jagjit tendered medical certificates to the court to prove that he was medically unfit to proceed. He told the court that the documents he received included the marriage certificate, passport copies, e-mails and invoices.

“The latest set was sent to us yesterday (Aug 19), but I have not seen it until just now. I need more time to study them,” he added.

Wong Kian Kheong is leading the prosecution team on behalf of the celebrity’s husband.

Wong sought for the trial to continue and told the court that he had proposed to Jagjit to conduct cross-examinations in late October to give him time to rest and prepare for the summons charge.

“This is a case of justice and should be expedited in the interest of the public and victim. I suggest a compromise in the interest of all stakeholders. There is no prejudice towards the accused,” he remarked.

To a question by the magistrate, Pushpa said she would make a formal application to challenge the summons and the constitutionality of Section 498.

“It is archaic and no longer has a place in society. It is a total affront to women to suggest that we can be so easily enticed and so stupid enough to be enticed,” she said.

Mohd Faizi adjourned the case to today and said he would deal with Pushpa’s application when a formal application was submitted to court. Jagjit, he added, could cross-examine in October if he felt unwell today.

Iking got married on Jan 27, 2007 in Bali, and gave birth to Isobel, who is now 21 months old. Iking is a TV presenter, host and brand ambassador.

UMNO, Kalah di kawasan Melayu beralih ke kerusi Kadazan?

Parti komponen dari Barisan Nasional sibuk melobi kerusi-kerusi baru yang bakal dibentuk melalui persempadanan semula. Ada juga yang melobi-lobi kerusi yang ditinggalkan oleh parti SAPP. Namun yang memeranjatkan kita ialah parti Melayu UMNO yang terang-terang bersifat ‘Ketuanan Melayu’  berani mengusulkan mahu semua kerusi pemimpin Kadazandusun.  Ada yang mahu YB Maximus Ongkili berundur. Kalau pemimpin UMNO Sabah sendiri biadap dengan pemimpin UPKO, PBS dan komponen lain, apa lagi sifat biadap mereka kepada rakyat?

Saya rasa tidak sesuailah UMNO Sabah menyalak pada pokok kerana terdapat 3 parti komponen lain yang berasaskan Kadazandusun murut. Senario sekarang berbeza dengan tahun sebelun 2000, kerana nampak sangat kekosongan suara Kadazandusun  selepas PBS meninggalkan Barisan Nasional pada 1990. Kini PBS telah kembali dalam BN, pemimpin “Kadazandusun” UMNO Sabah pun bagai cacing kepanasan mencari lobang. Ada yang mengancam nak masuk PKR! Ada yang nak sabotaj parti komponen lain waktu pilihanraya PRU-12 dulu.

Presepsi pengundi sekarang ialah UMNO ini parti tamak, sudah tidak diguna pakai oleh orang-orang Melayu di Semenanjung Malaysia jika diukur dari setiap kekalahan demi kekalahan bertalu-talu parti itu melalui beberapa pilihan raya kecil. Oleh itu, nasihat saya, UMNO ukur baju di badan sendiri dulu….sebelum menggugat parti Kadazandusun Murut lain.

Wasallam.

Taragang Rasuk.

Who the hell is Almida binti Zakaria?

Please go this link :
http://advocateviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/sabah-umno-puteri-dies-in-illegal.html
and
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/08/08/midwife-arrested-malaysian-woman039s-death.html

PERMATANG PASIR BY-ELECTION: The shame of a simple mistake

Failure to spot Rohaizat’s past may cost BN dearly

SHAMSUL YUNOS Malay Mail

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

To say that Barisan Nasional (BN) has made it difficult for itself when it chose a candidate, that is a soft target for the Pakatan Rakyat (PR), is a massive understatement.

If this is a pole-climbing contest, BN has smeared theirs with grease and put bamboo spikes at the bottom of the pole, and told their candidate to climb up, with one hand tied behind his back at night, during a thunderstorm.

The laws of probability say their candidate for Permatang Pasir Rohaizat Othman still has a chance but there are so many zeroes padding the decimal point that for Rohaizat’s actual chance of winning is smaller than finely chopped bacteria.

Even the most strident Umno supporters have been scratching their heads, wondering how a simple background check failed to highlight a possible legal minefield in the candidate’s history.

BN made such a fantastic choice of candidate for Manek Urai and proved to themselves that, first and foremost, people just want honest and hardworking candidate to look to and consider voting for. But, it appears now that this is not the case in their choice for Permatang Pasir.

Rohaizat’s past has been the topic of most political speeches since the start of campaigning and the questions raised by PR speakers were simple ones, but they struck close to the heart.

The statement by the Bar Council that Rohaizat was struck off the Roll of Advocates and Solicitors because the complaint was personal to him is a major blow, making it even more difficult for Umno to prop up their candidate’s limp credibility.

Some have suggested that BN should go along the lines that Pakatan Rakyat’s leadership is a veritable roll call of ex-convicts; Anwar was jailed for sodomy, Lim Guan Eng was behind bars for breaking the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, Muhammad Sabu was caught with a woman he was not married to in a hotel room and the list goes on.

Those are facts but they are not the sort that fence sitters are attracted to and it has nothing to do with PAS candidate, Mohd Salleh Man.

The opening act fiasco in Permatang Pasir has apparently caused deep unhappiness within the BN machinery, with some people talking about darker shades of grey creeping up amongst grassroots leaders.

This sort of mutinous talk will not help BN’s assault in Permatang Pasir and each day that passes without any concrete evidence of Rohaizat’s innocence is another day wasted in the effort to win over undecided voters.

The bottom line is PR’s smear campaign on Rohaizat’s personality will make it difficult for people to justify voting for him. As humans, we have an in-built moral circuit breaker. It is called shame.

There is no doubt that the circuit breaker had been triggered in many voters who are thinking of tipping the scale on BN’s behalf. So now, even if they are still resolved to vote for Rohaizat, they will have to do it quietly with their heads hanging low.

You cannot win an election without a strong sense of pride and that is sorely lacking in the BN camp.

For most reporters on the ground, the Permatang Pasir by-election is a major letdown; the climax came even before the heavy petting ended and we are left holding on to a limp campaign.

UMNO usulkan kerusi Kadazandusun serah kepadanya

KOTA MARUDU: Mesyuarat Umno Bahagian ini turut membentangkan usul yang mahukan satu kerusi diberikan kepada Umno dalam pilihan raya ke-13 akan datang.

Usul ini adalah kesinambungan usul yang sama dikemukakan oleh tiga sayap pergerakan itu iaitu Pergerakan Wanita, Pemuda dan Puteri sebelum ini.

Timbalan Ketua Umno Bahagian Baintin Adun @ Abdul Halim yang membentangkan usul itu meminta Perhubungan Negeri dan Pusat mengambil tindakan lanjut disebabkan pada kempen pilihan raya lepas penyandang kerusi Parlimen Kota Marudu yang juga Menteri Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi Datuk Dr. Maximus J. Ongkili memohon dalam kempennya supaya para pengundi memilihnya untuk kali terakhir.

Ini katanya membayangkan pada pilihan raya akan datang Maximus tidak lagi mempertahankan kerusinya.

Usul yang dibentangkan oleh Baintin itu mendapat tepukan gemuruh oleh 408 perwakilan tidak termasuk pemerhati menyokong usul berkenaan yang diadakan di Dewan Komuniti dekat sini baru-baru ini.

Dalam ucapan aluan-alunya Ketua Umno Bahagian Kota Marudu Wetrom Bahanda @ Mohd. Fikri memohon Perhubungan Umno Negeri dan Pusat agar kerusi berkenaan diberikan kepada parti Umno.

Ini katanya, Umno Kota Marudu telah membuktikan kerjasama yang padu dan kemenangan besar yang dicapai oleh calon-calon Barisan Nasional yang semuanya dari Parti Bersatu Sabah PBS (DUN Matunggong Sarapin Magana, DUN Tandek, Anita Baranting@ Lasiah dan Parlimen Kota Marudu Datuk Dr. Maximus J. Ongkili ).

“Kami yakin kemenangan majoriti Umno dalam Barisan Nasional akan tercapai jika kita diberi kepercayaan menjadi calon dalam pilihan raya akan datang dan parti komponen yang lain juga hendaklah bekerjasama seperti mana yang telah Umno lakukan sebelum ini,” tegasnya.

Mesyuarat kali ini memilih tujuh wakil Bahagian Kota Marudu ke Perhimpunan Agung Umno Pusat. Mereka terdiri dari Mohd. Faizal Datuk Saidi, Lorence Haji Madina, Rahim Omar, Hussin Oyong, Jonan Gaul, Sodil Ebin @Abdul Rahman, manakala calon ketujuh Hassnal Haji Omar mempunyai persamaan undi dengan Sukimi Soyoh sebanyak 74 undi.

Bagaimanapun Pengerusi Tetap Persidangan Ismarah Madcassar membuat pengundian yang menyebelahi Hassnal menduduki tempat yang ketujuh

Pemerhati dari Perhubungan Negeri kali ini Ketua Umno Bahagian Pensiangan Datuk Abdul Ghani Mohd. Yassin

UMNO involvement in Kadazan Penampang affair? Dr. Jeffrey

“The Chief Minister should clarify this matter as to quash rumours going round here that UMNO is behind this. A clarification hopefully will put things to rest and avoid confusion among the people in Penampang.

“Rumour has it that Datuk Marcel Leiking, an UMNO member and also President of Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS), is pushing for a particular person to take over as District Chief. A clarification is all is needed to quash this rumour,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

According to Dr. Jeffrey, who is also KDCA Deputy President, if it is true (UMNO involvement) then this does reflect the spirit of the One Malaysia concept as consultation seems to be absent.

“If the rumour is found to be true, then this only goes to show that UMNO is an unchanged party. It continues to bully other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties.

“There should be consultation among colleagues, including with the current District Chief, who had said he was still healthy and upbeat to serve,” he said when commenting on the on-going issue revolving current chief Christopher Mojungkim and a contender, Sylvester Disimon.

The Borneo Post reported on Tuesday that the State Government had appointed Sylvester as the new Penampang District Chief, taking over from Christopher who retires by end of this month.

On Monday, the newly appointed District Chief submitted his letter of acceptance to Penampang District Officer William Sampil in his office. He will assume his office from September 2008.

Perselisihan Pakatan di Selangor gugat Permatang Pasir?

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 Ogos -Perselisihan melibatkan parti-parti komponen Pakatan Rakyat di Selangor berhubung peraturan penjualan arak tidak akan menjejaskan sentimen penyokong PAS dan rakan Pakatan lain dalam menghadapi pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pasir tidak lama lagi, tegas Pesuruhjaya PAS Pulau Pinang, Mohd Salleh Man.?

Kekecohan yang berlaku melibatkan pertikaian peraturan penjualan arak di Selangor dua tiga hari ini tidak menggugat kekuatan PAS di Permatang Pasir, kerana momentum sokongan rakyat kepada pembangkang masih kuat,? tegasnya.

Perselisihan antara dua exco Selangor, Datuk Dr Hasan Ali yang juga pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor dengan Ronnie Liu, seorang pemimpin pusat DAP berlanjutan selama lebih seminggu tetapi dilihat telah selesai berikutan satu pertemuan pemimpin-pemimpin Pakatan di Petaling Jaya sebentar tadi.

Tambah Mohd Salleh lagi, tugas yang dijalankan Allahyarham Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman sebagai wakil rakyat kawasan itu memberi sumbangan besar dalam mengukuhkan sokongan rakyat kepada PAS.

?Selama YB Hamdan bertugas sebagai Adun, tidak pernah timbul rasa tidak puas hati dalam kalangan penduduk Permatang Pasir. Inilah kekuatan yang ditinggalkan kepada PAS untuk bertanding di Permatang Pasir,? kata Mohd Salleh.

Pesuruhjaya negeri ini juga menegaskan persiapan PAS untuk menghadapi pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pasir kini berada pada peringkat terakhir dan bilik-bilik gerakan sudahpun dibuka.

Permatang Pasir yang terletak dalam kawasan Parlimen Permatang Pauh ialah satu-satunya kawasan dimenangi PAS dalam Dewan Undangan Negeri Pulau Pinang yang dikuasai DAP.

Mohd Hamdan memenangi Permatang Pasir dengan majoriti 3,154 undi pada pilihan raya 1999 dan memperolehi majoriti yang meningkat 5,571 undi pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-12 pada Mac 2008.

Pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pasir diadakan berikutan kematian Mohd Hamdan 31 Julai lalu di Institut Jantung Negara di Kuala Lumpur.

PAS dilihat mampu mengekalkan kemenangan berdasarkan prestasi ditunjukkan dalam dua pilihan raya umum yang lepas. – azm

A transport minister who uses the wrong transport: “mana boleh tahan!”

By Guan Sin

Of course we would not demand the transport minister concerned to resign over this stupid mistake, for choosing the wrong mode of transport for his transport needs from the wrong party. “Mana boleh tahan,” you would shout. Integrity and accountability come into question.There are simply many many ‘mana boleh tahan‘ for the rakyat to swallow here.

The longer this sandiwara between Kuala Dimensi bosses and transport minister Ong Tee Kiat drags on, the more it strengthens public perception that Malaysia Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) is merely a political tool to go after the opposition only. Why the silence? Even way way back when the scandal of Port Klang Free Zone was exposed years ago, what has MACC done? NOTHING! And here it involves billions of ringgits of public funds, not just mere thousands of ringgits as in the cases involving opposition excos. And now even after all the details emerged from PwC audit reports and accusations made by both sides, MACC stays silent. The MACC advisory panel members should seriously think whether or not they can make a difference by staying on with MACC.

This is the rakyat’s first ‘mana boleh tahan‘

Kadazandusun it should be: Luping

Kota Kinabalu: Reaching a compromise on the tagline to identify the Kadazan and Dusun is the first step towards uniting the community, now basically divided to three factions, said a veteran Kadazandusun politician.

Tan Sri Herman Luping said his book entitled “Indigenous Ethnic Communities of Sabah: The Kadazandusun” launched recently, among others, tries to show the origin of the name of Kadazan and the reason for its fusion into the Kadazandusun.

He said the use of the word Kadazan, which means the people, to identify the community was actually voted and debated before being approved during the inauguration of the United National Kadazan Organisation (Unko) under the late Tun Fuad Stephens who was also the first modern day Huguan Siou (Paramount Leader) in the 1950s.

The term Kadazan is used by the Suku Tangaah Kadazandusun or Penampang and Papar districts.

The name Dusun meaning orchard or farm, on the other hand was imported as it was coined by the Brunei nobles who, unaware of the historical account of the term Kadazan, used the term for collection of many suku or tribes of the same speech communities for convenience and it was also later adopted by the British colonist.

The tribes living in the interior of Sabah such as Ranau, Tambunan and Keningau prefer to call themselves Dusun.

But, he said the Dusun faction refused to be called Kadazan, which was further “encouraged by certain people because a united Kadazan and Dusun will be too strong”.

The second modern day Huguan Siou, Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan together with leaders of the Kadazan Cultural Association (KCA), which he headed decided to fuse the Kadazan and Dusun to become Kadazandusun that also saw the changing of the association’s name to Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA).

This issue was also discussed in his book.

“The idea is to agree that Kadazandusun should be the tagline for the community. It will be a retrograde state (to insist on using Kadazan).

What I am saying is we must compromise and that is what I am trying to say in this book,” he said.

Luping who is a former Usno Deputy Chief Minister and a State Attorney-General during the PBS government, said in his book’s introduction:

“This book is written not to show the differences amongst our diverse ethnic indigenous communities; rather, it is an attempt to show unity and harmony amongst them”.

On the perception that the split among the Kadazandusun community was due to the Huguan Siou also being held by a political personality as in the case of Stephens and Pairin, he said the perception was “short-sighted”.

“The time will come eventually when the person appointed as the Huguan Siou will not have anything to do with politics,” he said, adding that at the moment it could not be helped that leaders of the community are also involved in politics.

“We live on hope and we have to be optimistic that the people will eventually unite but first we have to agree on the name (because) at present (even that) we are still fighting,” he said.

Nonetheless, Luping said just like other races there are bound to be divisions and the Kadazandusun community is certainly no exception.

On what makes his book different from others that had already been published out there on the same subject, he said he wrote it from a different approach and that most of the people who had written on the subject were foreigners.

“It is not that I don’t appreciate their works and I have also credited them (previous authors) in my book as we have learn a lot from them,” he said.

He added that Minister of Information, Communications and Culture, Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim had said when launching the book on Aug. 8 that “it was about time for our own writers to write to complement and supplement the existing works”.

“This is what encouraged me to do this book, more so the Prime Minister wants us bring up relationship of the various ethnic groups and races in the country,” he said.

His 10-chapter book starts with a brief presentation of Sabah’s history before touching on the 13 tribes of the Kadazandusun indigenous community, Adat or Customs and religion, the Native Court (established in 1953 by the British Colonial Administration) as well as a presentation on how a Kadazandusun peasant used to live and the many changes that have taken place since the formation of Malaysia.

The hardcover book published by the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture Malaysia had been printed for 1,000 copies.